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FIFTY YEARS 

OF THE 

Young Men's Christian Association 

of Buffalo. 



A HISTORY 



FRANK E. SICKELS. 




BUFFALO, N. Y. : 

PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION 

1902. 



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o*° 






PREFATORY NOTE. 

The writer of this little book has had material abundant 
enough and interesting enough to make one many times its 
size ; the task of selection has been difficult, but imperative. 
If any of our older members have given years of time and 
effort to some good work and find it mentioned in these pages 
only by a phrase, or not at all, may we not ask them to accept 
this statement as the explanation ? The story of such an organi- 
zation is made up of many details ; in telling it concisely all 
details must be grouped and many omitted. Again, it should 
be noted that personal mention has been largely avoided, 
except where the true telling of the story has demanded it ; 
there will be found very little characterization of volunteer 
work or of individual service, and no biography. We feel that 
we are thus upon safer ground and surer of a short story. A 
full list of officers and directors will be found in the appendix. 

Special and grateful mention ought to be made of the very 
valuable and efficient service which Mr. A. H. Whitford has 
rendered in the collecting of material and the making of help- 
ful suggestion ; he is not, however, responsible for any opinion 
expressed, nor is any other person or body. For all such, the 
writer is alone responsible. 

*4t '"'■'. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Period of Beginnings. 

i8 5 2 - PAGE. 
London; Boston; Montreal; Buffalo in 1852; George W. Perkins; organization; 
first editorial notice ; Dr. Heacock's sermon ; reorganization ; first members ; first 
officers ; different name ; objects, 5 

CHAPTER II. 

Period of Early Prosperity. 

1852-57- 
Early uncertainty ; first room on South Division Street ; membership ; Odeon Hall ; 
Kremlin Hall ; paid employes ; Geo. M. Standish ; David Gray ; early reading 
room ; library ; lecture courses ; prayer meeting ; boarding house and employ- 
ment bureau; bible and tract distribution; mission Sunday Schools; first inter- 
national convention ; call ; proceedings ; results, 16 

CHAPTER III. 

Period of Adversity. 

1857-69. 

Lessening prosperity ; causes ; lease of Kremlin Hall ; financial depression ; civil 

war; mistaken methods; reasons for adopting these methods ; leaving Kremlin 

Hall ; Arcade ; Young Men's Association building ; membership ; finances ; 

resignation of David Gray ; Rev. P. G. Cook as city missionary ; purposes and 

work ; relief work ; evangelistic work ; Sunday Schools ; army work ; Christian 

Commission ; an accession, 30 

CHAPTER IV. 

Period of Reconstruction. 
1869-84. 
Spirit of unrest and causes ; evangelical test ; Robert McBurney ; international com- 
mittee ; 23d Street building ; results ; change of name ; rooms at 302 Main 
Street ; at 319 Main Street ; at 345 Main Street ; in old Court House ; Isaac G. 
Jenkins ; John Steinacker ; John B. Squire ; membership ; finances ; more dis- 
tinctive work for young men ; description of work ; Holly Tree Soup and Coffee 
Room; Friendly Inn; " Our Young Men's Paper"; employment bureau; first 
railroad work ; history of building fund ; Authors' Carnival ; laying of corner 

stone ; dedication ; Building Committee ; Board of Trustees, 43 

3 



\ 



CHAPTER V. 

Period of Modern Development. 
1884 — . 

PAGE. 

Introductory words ; founding of branches ; this chapter confined to original work ; 
Mohawk Street building ; starting of modern work ; four years' progress ; 
physical work ; outing park ; intellectual work ; library ; social work ; religious 
work ; bible classes ; boys' work ; membership ; new constitution ; first Commit- 
tee of Management ; resignation of John B. Squire ; coming of Henry D. Dick- 
son ; fire ; present membership ; resignation of Dickson ; coming of A. H. 
Whitford ; "The Bulletin " ; finances ; new building project ; " Perkins Memo- 
rial Hall " ; cost of new building and present situation, 63 

CHAPTER VI. 

Period of Metropolitan Expansion. 



Nature of metropolitan organization ; change in constitution ; Union Terminal Rail- 
road Department ; East Buffalo Railroad Department ; German Department ; 
Depew Railroad Department ; Student Department ; Army Department : B., R. & 
P. Railroad Department, 83 

CHAPTER VII 

A Word of Review and Another of Prophecy. 

Comparison of then and now ; results ; lessons ; a look toward the future ; new 

departments needed ; endowments needed ; last word, 104 



APPENDIX. 

Programme of Jubilee Service, ill 

Department and membership statement, 112 

Locations during fifty years, 112 

List of bequests, 113 

Property and endowment statement, 113 

Organization in 1902, 114 

Officers for fifty years, .... 115 

Paid officers for fifty years, 117 

Members of Board of Directors from beginning, 119 



Chapter I. 
PERIOD OF BEGINNINGS. 

THE Young Men's Christian Association is a development ; not 
the product of one great creative stroke. It came in the fullness 
of its time, when world conditions demanded its existence ; it 
has grown and developed precisely as times, needs, environments, have 
required, shaping itself to meet new and diverse conditions with marvel- 
ous adaptability and accomplishing its purposes with steady, practical 
wisdom and scientific precision. 

Early in the nineteenth century the iron hand of the industrial age 
began to drive men from country to town and there crushed them to- 
gether into great and congested sections, where the air was both physic- 
ally and morally unclean. This new urban population was made up 
largely of young men — the men of to-morrow. If the future of the 
great city were to be saved for the Master, it became imperative that His 
followers should do something wise and practical to safeguard, develop, 
and save these young men. Out of this imperative grew the Young 
Men's Christian Association. 

As all the world knows, God used in the beginnings of this great work 
a young man twenty-three years of age, son of a gentleman farmer of the 
south of England, George Williams by name — made Sir George Williams 
by Queen Victoria, because of his modest but marvelously fruitful effort. 
Young Williams came to London in 1841 and became a drygoods clerk. 
He loved God, and because he loved God, he loved his fellow-men ; and 
because he loved his fellow-men, he had a desire and purpose to help them. 
God gave him great wisdom, and he started the work upon a foundation, 
so wisely laid and so strong, that it abides still as the chief corner stone 
of the great work of to-day. With J. Christopher Smith, he began a 
series of bedroom prayer meetings among the clerks who slept over the 
store ; and on June 6, 1844, twelve young men met and formed a perma- 
nent organization, which, at Smith's suggestion, they called a " Young 

5 



Men's Christian Association." The organization grew in strength and 
scope in London ; its scheme spread to the continent and there, finding 
Christian young men already banded together, it stamped its character 
upon their organizations and brought them into harmony with the 
London type. 

The same centrifugal forces which made the association a necessity 
in London existed in America in even greater degree. A young New 
York student in London, named George M. A r an Derlip, visited the rooms 
of the Young Men's Christian Association in that city and, becoming 
greatly interested, wrote an enthusiastic letter concerning the institution, 
which, after being pigeonholed for a time, was finally published in the 
Watchman and Reflector of Boston, October 30, 185 1. Out of the 
inspiration of that letter has grown the American work. The Boston 
Association, under the leadership of Capt. Thomas V. Sullivan, was 
organized on December 29, 185 1, in the chapel of the Old South Meeting 
House in Spring Lane. Inspired by information coming through entirely 
different channels, the young men of Montreal had completed the organi- 
zation of the Montreal Association on December 9, 1851 ; the organizers 
in each city were in entire ignorance of the proceedings or of the exist- 
ence of the organizers in the other. Montreal was, therefore, the first on 
the American continent and Boston the first in the United States ; but 
because of its adoption of the evangelical test for active membership, 
because of its zeal in extension work in other cities, and because its con- 
stitution served as a model for nearly all associations subsequently 
organized, Boston is usually regarded as the parent of the American work. 

From these small beginnings has grown a great tree of Christian ef- 
fort, whose branches have overshadowed the entire earth ; a great 
brotherhood of over six hundred thousand men, bound together by the 
single tie of Christian love and service, having thousands of organiza- 
tions, hundreds of buildings, great and small ; spending millions of dol- 
lars each year in altruistic work for young men, having armies of enthusi- 
astic volunteer workers and regiments of trained men giving their lives 
to the work. Ten million dollars were paid in and invested in America 
alone during the year 1901 ; and while true success is not always ex- 
pressed in terms of dollars and cents, yet such facts and the extraordi- 
nary expansion in all directions imperatively arrest the attention of every 
thoughtful and candid man, and compel the conviction that here is a work 
of the Church which God has owned and blessed, and which has become 
perhaps the greatest and most practical religious development of the age. 

6 



After Boston comes Buffalo, both alphabetically and chronologically, 
in association history. 

The Buffalo Association was organized April 26, 1852, not quite four 
months after that of Boston. There is record of the organization of an 
association in Worcester, Massachusetts, during these four intervening 
months, but it was short-lived ; and, therefore, although it cannot perhaps 
claim second place in date of organization, Buffalo is to-day the second 
oldest association in the United States and the third oldest on the 
American Continent. After fifty years of storm and sunshine, it finds 
itself, in its jubilee year, strong, virile, progressive, full of expansive 
power and ambition, the fifth association in the world in point of num- 
bers and varied development. 

During the first half of the past century, whatever its own citizens may 
have thought of her, it is certain that so much of the world as knew of 
her existence considered Buffalo a slow and sleepy town. She had 
suffered severely in the stormy financial days of the later thirties ; her 
citizens were conservative and apparently not possessed of great civic 
ambition. During the forties, however, there appeared signs of an awaken- 
ing, and when 1852 came the town appeared to be shaking off its lethargy 
and its citizens, in some dim way, at least, coming to a realization of 
Buffalo's high destiny among American cities. In 1850 the population of 
the city was 42,261, and in 1855 it was 74,219 ; a gain of 31,958, or 75 per 
cent, in five years — a very remarkable growth. The Board of Trade had 
been organized in 1844 ; the system of city water supply had been estab- 
lished in 1850 ; railroad facilities were being greatly increased and 
improved ; and the commerce of the port was advancing with great 
rapidity. Banks are a sure indication of business growth, and this was a 
period of bank beginnings ; in the period between 1850 and 1856 there 
were founded the Marine Bank, White's Bank, the Manufacturers and 
Traders, the Western Savings Bank, and the Erie County Savings Bank ; 
the Farmers and Mechanics Bank was removed here from Batavia, and 
the Buffalo Savings Bank erected a fine new building. 

In the midst of this commercial and material prosperity, the people 
were not unmindful of the city's intellectual interests, for the University 
of Buffalo began its honorable career in 1846 and was greatly strength- 
ened and developed during the fifties ; that the people were mind- 
ful also of things moral and spiritual, the founding and early success 
of the Young Men's Christian Association furnishes indisputable evi- 
dence. 

7 







George W. Perkins, 
Founder of the Association. 
Born December 25, 1831. Died March 29, 



A growing population brought with it the usual influx of young men, 
fresh from farm and village, the backbone of the nation, but woefully open 
to the seductive and evil influences of a great and wicked city. One 
Christian young man, at least, realized this, and, as in the case of George 
Williams, the realization impelled him to action. This young man was 
George W. Perkins, a member of the North Presbyterian Church, to whom 
belongs the credit for first conceiving the idea of organizing the Young 
Men's Christian Association of Buffalo. He went to the office of the Com- 
mercial Advertise}-, where Jesse Clement, a deacon in the Niagara Square 
Baptist Church, was employed, and submitted the scheme to him. Mr. 
Clement heartily approved, and, after talking the matter over thoroughly, 
he suggested that Mr. Perkins, who was the younger of the two, should 
take it up actively and should first see Isaac C. Tryon about it. This Mr. 
Perkins did. Mr. Tryon, who was, at that time, a clerk in a merchant 
tailor's shop, gave cordial assent ; others were seen with like result, and 
finally six men met after business hours in a room in the old Concert Hall 
block. These six men were George W. Perkins, Jesse Clement, Isaac C. 
Tryon, Jabez Loton, Cyrus K. Remington, and P. J. Ferris ; three of 
these men are still living ; Mr. Remington, Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Clement 
have been called home. The result was a decision to call a meeting for 
the purpose of organizing a Young Men's Christian Association. Public 
notice was therefore given of such a meeting to be held in the Niagara 
Street Methodist Church, on April 19, 1852 ; in what manner this "public 
notice " was given neither the record nor the memory of survivors 
reveals. About ten men came to this meeting. This was too few for the 
beginning of what all felt to be a great work, and so an adjournment was 
had to Wednesday evening, April 26, 1852. At this time, in the old Pearl 
Street Methodist Church, now known as the Asbury M. E. Church, there 
gathered, up in the organ loft, a small company of earnest young men, 
who organized the Young Men's Christian Association of Buffalo. What 
was done can be best told in the language of the official record. 

'* In accordance with a notice given, a number of young men of the 
Evangelical churches of the City of Buffalo held a meeting in the Pearl 
Street Methodist Church, on Wednesday evening, April 26, 1852, for the 
purpose of forming an association for the improvement of the spiritual 
and mental condition of young men, when, on motion, Mr. Thos. B. Bain 
w T as appointed Chairman and C. K. Remington Secretary. The constitution 
of the Young Men's Christian Association of Boston was read and, on 
motion, adopted. On motion, the Secretary was directed to give notice 

9 




Peter J. Ferris. 






Rev. Isaac C. Tryon, 
First President. 



Jabez Loton. 




James N. Pinner. Amos Sangster. 

CHARTER MEMBERS WHO ARE NOW LIVING. 



to all Evangelical churches of the time and place of our next meeting. 
On motion, the Secretary was directed to procure a place for our next 
meeting. On motion, all who approved of the Constitution gave their 
names to the Secretary. On motion, proceeded to elect " pro tern " until 
the annual meeting in May, a President, Vice Do., Recording Sec, Cor- 
responding Sec, and Treasurer. The following were elected : President, 
Isaac C. Tryon ; Vice Prest., Thos. B. Bain ; Rec Sec, C. K. Remington ; 
Cor. Sec, Geo. W. Perkins ; Tres., Geo. Relph. On motion, a committee 
of 4 was appointed to procure someone to lecture on Sunday evening, 
stating the objects of the association — committee, Mrss. Tryon, Loton, 
Ball, and Thornton. On motion, adjourned until next Monday evening. 
Meeting closed by prayer. C. K. Remington, Sec." 

Following this meeting there appeared in the Buffalo Christian Advo- 
cate, in its issue of April 29th, the following, which is the first editorial 
notice of which we know : — 

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. 

We are pleased to be informed that the young men of this city are about to organize 
an association, the results of which cannot be otherwise than auspicious. We have not 
the details before us, so as to speak intelligibly of it this week. On Sabbath evening, 
next, Rev. Mr. Heacock will deliver a sermon, in which he will explain the object and 
benefits of the association, and on Tuesday next the youug men will meet at the Niagara 
Sq. Baptist Church to complete the organization. 

On the following Sabbath evening, in the Lafayette Street Presby- 
terian Church, the Rev. Grosvenor W. Heacock preached the sermon as 
announced, and knowing how congenial would be the theme to the 
preacher, we can be sure it was one of great power and effect, full of the 
fire and enthusiasm of his vigorous manhood ; a sermon, it surely was, 
which "brought things to pass," and that, in the last analysis, is the only 
sure test of all oratory. 

What followed this first meeting and this sermon can best be told in the 
language of Mr. Tryon, the first president, who has been for many years 
an ordained minister, and who, as has been said, is still living. In his 
speech at the Jubilee dinner in 1894, he said that after the meeting of 
organization " we went to work, first to get members right and left. 
People we approached said, ' You are too few in numbers for such a move- 
ment ; your president is unknown, a new comer here ; you had better 
meet again and gather together a larger number ; give us the voice of 

11 




Odeon Hall, 

Northwest corner Main and Mohawk 
streets, 1853-1855. 

The First International Convention 
convened in these rooms, second floor, 
June 7, 1854. The two corners beyond 
are the locations of present and new 
Central buildings. 



Kremlin Hall, 



Southeast corner of Eagle and Pearl 
streets, 1855-1859. 



Old Court House, 

Northwest corner Clinton and Ellicott 
streets, 1878-1883. 



THREE EARLY HOMES OF THE ASSOCIATION. 



someone who is well known in the city.' Perkins said, 'They are talking 
what is right ; we need another man for president.' So we just voted to 
step down and out ; we didn't disband." 

Thus, in the very infancy of the movement, there appeared that sin- 
gular lack of self-seeking, that almost perfect self-effacement which has, 
in so marked a degree, characterized the history of the association every- 
where. Mr. Tryon's narrative explains what follows in the official records. 
On May ist the association met in the Niagara Square Baptist Church 
and appointed a Committee on Constitution ; on May 9th, it met in some 
place unrecorded, rescinded all business transacted at the first meeting, 
listened to the report of the Committee on Constitution and considered 
some sections of the new constitution as proposed ; it met again, on June 
ist, and adopted more of the new constitution, and, finally, on June 8th, at 
the First Presbyterian Church, formally adopted the constitution as a 
whole. At this meeting forty-five men enrolled themselves as members, 
and as this is the first recorded list of association members it has a cer- 
tain value and interest ; here is the roll : 

A. R. Wright, O. H. P. Champlin, W. D. Huntly, E. S. Ralph, J. Hall, 
N. A. Halbert, E. A. Swan, R. V. Andrews, I. C. Tryon, W. Williams, 
G. W. Wightman, Geo. Relph, Rev. G. W. Heacock, Geo. W. Perkins, 
C. K. Remington, J. Loton, T. B. Bain, Wm. C. Webster, H. H. Martin, 
W. M. Cone, M. H. Tryon, C. E. Young, Silas Sweet, J. Chichester, 
J. Clement, C. P. Sheldon, Thos. Morgan, O. F. Presbrey, P. J. Ferris, 
James N. Pinner, J. H. Jewett, J. D. Foote, Henry Holbrook, Wm. Davis, 
L. H. Holbrook, S. Jennings, D. G. Bronson, Amos Sangster, L. D. Norton, 
Wm. M. Gray, E. A. Shaw, Ira Blood, G. H. Ball, Frederick Gerrig, 
F. T. Hutchinson. 

This was a fine body of men and very representative. It was indica- 
tive of that true democracy in Christian service which has been one of 
the glories of association history ; for the men upon the first list were 
from many classes and many walks of life — men rich and poor, of high 
social rank and of no recognized social rank, employers and employees ; 
simply a band of earnest men, with no thought of distinctions among 
themselves, with an eye single to the great purpose before them. 

The following officers were elected : President, Norton A. Halbert ; 
Vice-Presidents, E. A. Swan, O. F. Presbrey, Isaac C. Tryon, O. H. P. 
Champlin ; Recording Secretary, Geo. W. Perkins ; Corresponding Sec- 
retary, W. D. Huntly ; Treasurer, C. K. Remington ; Librarian, H. H. 
Martin ; Managers, Silas Sweet, D. B. Hull, A. R. Wright, Seth Clark, 

13 



:' ■' ... 








Oscar Coe 



Hon. Stephen Lockwood. 





H. H. Hale. 



Hon. N. K. Hopkins. 





E. P. Beals. J. F. Chard. 

MEMBERS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN 1852 TO 1859, WHO ARE STILL LIVING. 



Thos. Morgan, C. E. Young, J. Loton, Lorenzo Sweet. T. F. Thornton, 
Dr. J. S. Hawley, T. B. Bain, and Nelson K. Hopkins were added to the 
Board of Managers at its first meeting. 

This completes the story of the birth of the Buffalo Association, 
so far as we know it. There remains only to speak of two things : 
first, the change of name and, second, the purpose of the infant organi- 
zation. 

The name first adopted was that which it now bears, and which has 
become world-wide in its use — Young Men's Christian Association ; the 
meeting of June 8th changed this to Young Men's Christian Union. The 
reasons for this are uncertain ; diligent questioning of the survivors of 
those early days has brought to light, first, an apparent lack of all recol- 
lection, and then halting explanations so diverse in their character that 
the conclusion becomes inevitable that the matter was not at the time 
greatly discussed, nor seriously considered. It seems most probable that 
the founders had little knowledge of other similar efforts, except what 
was gathered from the Boston constitution in their possession, were little 
impressed with the necessity or advantage of uniformity in name among 
institutions kindred in character, and found the word " Union " more to 
their liking than the word "Association ; " moreover, perhaps, the exist- 
ence in the city of another organization called the Young Men's Associ- 
ation led them to think that the adoption of the latter word might lead 
to local confusion. The name of Union was borne for eighteen years, but 
the organization has always been a part, and an important part as we 
shall see, in the great brotherhood of "Associations," and the differing 
name seems to have caused little comment. 

The first printed announcement of the Union, issued sometime in the 
fall of 1852, began as follows : "The Young Men's Christian Union of 
Buffalo was organized for important purposes. As the country is daily 
sending her sons of promise to dwell with us, it aims cordially to welcome 
them upon the threshold of city life to virtuous society ; to search out 
the Christian professor who shall locate here, and introduce him to the 
church of his choice ; to associate pious young men in works of com- 
mon beneficence; to promote intellectual and religious culture — these 
are the primary objects of this Association." 

The constitution summarized it all in these words, "Its object, the 
improvement of the intellectual, moral, and religious condition of young- 
men." 



15 



Chapter II. 
PERIOD OF EARLY PROSPERITY. 

AFTER this beginning full of enthusiasm and promise, the young 
organization started upon a career of growth and usefulness, 
which continued without break until 1857. Then came days of 
adversity, as we shall see hereafter. Naturally, there was at first 
some uncertainty as to methods and objectives. One of the active 
men of those days, when asked recently for some reminiscence, re- 
plied, " My chief recollection is of the uncertainty, the groping ; we 
knew we wanted to help young men, but we couldn't determine just 
how to do it." 

The records give evidence of this hesitancy ; some queer things were 
discussed in those days. Among the changes in organization unani- 
mously approved by the Managers was the admission of women to the 
Union upon the same terms as men ; immediately following this recom- 
mendation, came an exceedingly gallant resolution, which was in entire 
seriousness adopted, " That when ladies are proposed for membership at 
any meeting of the Board, they shall be considered as elected (unless 
there are objections) without a formal vote." Apparently, the Union did 
not sympathize with the Board, for we find no recognition of this action 
in constitutional amendment. Among the vagaries of method proposed, 
for a long time discussed, and finally tabled, was a proposition to appoint 
a committee to assist public officials in enforcing the State laws concern- 
ing vagrants and truants. 

But, after all, these early workers kept clearly in mind the great ob- 
ject of their organization, hewed their way very accurately in the right 
direction, met with a large degree of success, and increased very rapidly 
in numbers and public esteem. 

The first thing sought was a home. A room, recently vacated by the 
Young Men's Association, was secured on South Division Street, between 
Main and Washington streets, where Ellicott Square now stands. This 

16 



room was opened August 25, 1852 ; and on the following day The Buffalo 
Christian Advocate published the following notice : 

BUFFALO YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN UNION. 

The reading room of this Association was opened to the public last evening. It is 
on South Division Street near Main, being the room formerly occupied by the lecture 
room of the Young Men's Association. It has been fitted up in a good style and provided 
with a large number of religious papers and reviews of various evangelical denominations 
in the country. The object is not only worthy of the support of every Christian but of 
every good citizen. All interested in the success of the enterprise are invited to call at 
the rooms. 

This sounds quite inviting, but those who remember this room say it 
was bare and not very attractive ; and yet it was largely patronized by 
the young men whom the Union was seeking to reach. At this time the 
Union had 127 members ; by March of the following year it had increased 
to 381 and the need of better and larger rooms was felt. Accordingly, 
rooms were secured in what was called the Odeon Hall block, still stand- 
ing at the northwest corner of Main and Mohawk streets, the Union 
making a five years' lease at an annual rental of $162.50. These rooms 
were quite handsomely fitted up and were opened at a special meeting 
of the Union on May 10, 1853. Here the Union continued to grow, 
having in March, 1854, 628 members, and in 1855, 777 members. In his 
annual report of that year President Halbert said : " Our history has 
shown the absolute necessity of central and pleasant rooms. This is 
indispensable. Appreciating this fact, several gentlemen proposed to us 
last spring to secure rooms in Kremlin Hall. To meet our increased 
expenses a fund of $4,000 or $5,000 was deemed necessary. A subscrip- 
tion was opened and $3,000 was secured, with the assurance that it would 
be increased to at least $4,000. Under these circumstances, the rooms 
were leased for five years, with the privilege of five more, at an annual 
rent of $1,000. The hall has been appropriately furnished and will seat 
about one thousand persons. The Union will occupy it for its lectures, 
and rent it for concerts and other consistent purposes. * * * The 
furnishing of the hall and rooms will require, when completed, an expend- 
iture of some $1,000." After removing to Kremlin Hall the membership 
increased to 867 in 1856, and dropped to 846 in 1857. 

The Kremlin Hall building still stands at the junction of Eagle, 
Pearl, and Niagara streets. The fourth floor contained a large hall, which 
was handsomely furnished by the Union. The third floor, with the excep- 

17 




H. G. Trout. 



J. U. Wayland. 



Hon. W. P. Letchworth. 





Hon. J. O. Putnam. 



Hon. L. L. Lewis. 




John Otto. Lucian Hawley. W. L. Doyle. 

MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION IN 1852 TO 1859, WHO ARE STILL LIVING. 



tion of two rooms in the northwest corner, was also rented and used for 
reading rooms, library, and offices ; all the rooms were well furnished and 
equipped, and the entire arrangement was convenient and pretentious to 
a degree beyond the fondest expectations of these same young men three 
years before. The hall was dedicated on the evening of Monday, June 
25, 1855, at a public meeting of the Union ; Rev. A. T. Chester, D. D., 
delivered the address and a dedication hymn was sung, the words of 
which had been written by Mr. Jesse Clement, an officer of the Union. 

"Gathered for this dedication, 

Lord, for help we look to Thee, 
Bend from Thine exalted station, 

While we humbly bow the knee, 
Ever hallowed, ever hallowed, 

Be this hall, O God, to Thee. 
******* 
Since our hearts are prone to falter, 

While the forms of error tower, 
Lord, we rear to truth an altar, 

Where young manhood's every power, 
Often quickened, often quickened, 

Firm may stand in peril's hour." 

At the start, the Young Men's Christian Union was purely a move- 
ment of volunteer workers, and the volunteer is still the fundamental 
element in the organization ; but it was early found necessary and advan- 
tageous to employ and pay men, in order that they might give all or part 
of their time exclusively to the work. In July, 1853, is found the first 
record of paid service ; a "boy," whose name nowhere appears upon the 
records, was voted $100 for " past services " in caring for the room, papers, 
and books. This boy was George M. Standish, who is remembered in 
Buffalo because of the beautiful voice which he had even then developed, 
and which has since caused him to make Italy his home and music his 
profession ; he constituted the beginning of the system of paid secreta- 
ries, which has since grown to such large proportions, and which to-day 
plays so important a part in the work of the association. We next find 
that E. W. Walton was voted the modest sum of $8.00, as librarian, in 
May, 1854, and during this same year older members recollect that a 
brother of George W. Perkins also acted in that capacity ; during the 
year 1855, Z. Clark was employed as librarian, and at some time during 
this same year D. Blood was also employed ; in April, 1856, J. Hill entered 

19 



the Union's employ at a salary of $29.17 per month ; he was followed in 
October of the same year by David Gray, author, poet, editor, who began 
his service at the same modest salary. For over three years, Mr. Gray con- 
tinued as the executive officer of the Union, and so successful and vigorous 
was his conduct of the office, and so attractive and lovable was the man 
himself, that the memory of those days stands out clearly in the minds of 
all the men then active in the work as something very important and very 
delightful. "The time when David Gray was librarian " is the one thing 
that all remember and love to talk about. The Kremlin Hall rooms were 
bright and cozy of themselves, a very attractive place for young men to 
gather ; and the rare personality of young Gray gave them an added charm 
and did much to make them the familiar rallying place for many of Buf- 
falo's choicest young men. To a Buffalo reader, David Gray needs no 
introduction, and his reputation has become national. In the library of 
the Union, in the old Kremlin Hall, he began his literary career. At that 
time there were few buildings between the hall and the river ; the view 
from the windows of the old library was nearly unobstructed and swept out 
over the great lake and north to where the mighty Niagara begins. There 
was much in the outlook and the occasional quiet of the library to inspire 
the spirit of the poet, and it is not strange that some things that will be 
remembered were written there. Sitting at an open window, on a sum- 
mer's night, he listened to the sounds from " Out on the dim and desolate 
lake," 

"Sadly, solemnly, tolling-tolling, 
Dying away on the ghostly air," 

and wrote his mournful bit of revery called " The Fog Bell at Night ;" 
other sparks of his growing poetic genius were struck out from this 
library room and the forging of a poet was fairly begun. 

To the student and lover of association methods, it is very interesting 
to watch the first unfoldings and developments in the methods of this 
great work for young men, which has since grown to such marvelous 
proportions. 

The first clear objective in the minds of the organizers was to provide 
a room where young men, particularly strangers and new comers in the 
city, could congregate and find congenial companionship in a pure atmos- 
phere ; to make this room attractive, it must be stocked with reading 
matter ; and so the first and most important committee was that on 
" Library and Rooms." The first reports show a goodly supply of peri- 

20 



odicals, very largely religious in their character, although the proportion 
of secular publications seemed to increase steadily from year to year. 
On the whole, a careful examination of the lists shows that the early 
reading room was wisely and generously stocked with wholesome, current 
literature. 

The formation of a library was very close to the hearts of the early 
workers ; perhaps there was nothing about which they thought and for 
which they labored so earnestly as this. They laid the foundation by 
giving books themselves and begging them from their friends. An ap- 
propriation for new books was made each year and gifts earnestly invited 
and ingeniously urged. The original idea was a "religious library," and 
we fear the first catalogues would not be found very alluring to the average 
young man of to-day. The purpose gradually widened, however, and in 
its second annual report the Library Committee said : " It is the grand 
object of the Union to possess and hold, for the benefit of its members, a 
library unexceptionable in its character, composed of works by the best 
authors, in every branch of science, history, biography, travel, and gen- 
eral literature." At the end of the year 1857 there were 1,250 volumes 
in the library ; during that year 1,220 volumes were drawn for use — 25 
per cent, religious, 25 per cent, historical, and 50 per cent, miscellaneous 
literature. 

That some members did not fail to keep the primary object in view is 
shown by this extract from the sixth annual report of the Library Com- 
mittee, made by Mr. E. S. Hawley, which seems to voice a quiet protest 
against the growing tendency to seek other and less appropriate objects 
than those which inspired the founding of the Union ; he said, speaking 
of "a center and place of resort for young men," " We apprehend this to 
be the grand, if not the only, aim of the Union, and that this may be 
above all other ends subserved, we hope earnestly that the library and 
reading rooms may be considered first in all schemes of addition and 
improvement." 

Among the names of the men who did hard and noble work on the 
Library and Rooms Committee in those early days, we find these which 
have since become well known in Buffalo : O. H. P. Champlin, Geo. W. 
Perkins, S. S. Guthrie, E P. Beals, H. H. Martin, Dr. John D. Hill, 
Elias S. Hawley, George H. Selkirk, Henry H. Otis. 

The glory of those old days, however, clusters around the work of the 
Lecture Committee. Those were the days of lectures and lecturers, and 
great audiences gathered to hear and applaud with genuine appreciation ; 

21 




Pascal P. Pratt, 
President Board of Trustees. 



and perhaps the greatest courses ever given in Buffalo were those under 
the auspices of the Union during the fifties. 

After a modest beginning with a course by local clergymen the first 
year, the Union struck boldly out and furnished the very best that could 
be had in all the country. We would like to give these courses in full, 
for they were worthy to be recorded here, but will content ourselves with 
the list of subjects for the second year's course, which illustrates the char- 
acter of the addresses, and with the list of speakers in 1855, when, per- 
haps, the high- water mark was reached. How attractive would this 
literary menu be to the average twentieth century young man ? Read it : 
"Christianity as a Religious System;" "The Relation of the Divine 
Government to the Existence of Moral Evil ;" " The Antagonism of 
Christianity ;" " The Lenity of the Human Race ;" " Progress and Provi- 
dence ;" " Probable Destiny of the African Race." These topics drew 
crowded houses of men and women, young and old, and the course was a 
great success. 

The course for the season of 1855-6 was given in Kremlin Hall and 
included the following speakers : Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (two lec- 
tures), Dr. Joseph Cummings, afterwards president of Wesleyan Univer- 
sity, Dr. Samuel H. Cox (two lectures), Prof. Charles Henry Hitchcock 
(four lectures), Prof. Plummer, Dr. Matthew Simpson, Bishop of the 
Methodist Church, Rev. H. K. Green, President Barnas Sears of 
Brown University, Prof. Dwight, Dr. Leonard Bacon, President Martin 
B. Anderson of Rochester University, Dr. George W. Bethune (two lec- 
tures), Dr. R. S. Storrs. This course, which was remarkable in every 
way, was immensely successful and profitable. Mr. Beecher opened the 
course, and concerning this lecture the Christian Advocate, in its issue of 
November 1, 1855, says : 

On Thursday evening last, the lecture season of the Union of this city was opened. 
If the commencement was the indication of what the future will be, then one of the most 
popular and lucrative seasons ever anticipated is before us. Two thousand persons at one 
lecture was an occasion never before witnessed among us. We have seen large audiences 
before on similar occasions, but never one so large and intelligent. We are gratified at 
such favorable circumstances, because it will cheer the Association, which deserves well of 
the public. The best lecturers in the country have been engaged for the season. 

Aside from these formal courses, the Lecture Committee provided 
courses of "Studies in Sacred History," and took charge of a monthly 
meeting of the Union for literary exercises ; we note that the first two 

23 




Jesse Clement. 
1855. 



S. S. Guthrie, 
1856. 



Dr. J. D. Hill, 
1859-62. 




Emmor Haines. 
1876. 



N. G. Benedict, 
1880-85. 



W. H. Gratwick, 

1887-89. 



PRESIDENTS OF THE ASSOCIATION. DECEASED. 



topics discussed at these meetings were the " Universality of the 
Deluge " and the " Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures." 

Many well-known names are found upon the Lecture Committee lists 
during these years : O. F. Presbrey, J. S. Hawley, Nelson K. Hopkins, 
Stephen Lockwood, O. H. P. Champlin, Sherman S. Rogers, and Henry 
H. Hale. 

The first mention of a prayer meeting is found in the third annual 
report, where the Committee on Religious Exercises records the fact that, 
in conformity with the resolution adopted at the first International Conven- 
tion of Young Men's Christian Associations, a prayer meeting had been 
held on the second Sabbath of each month, but had not been largely 
attended, though "full of the right spirit." These meetings increased in 
attendance very rapidly ; soon a quarterly " missionary concert " came 
to be held in connection with them, and later several series of Sunday 
night sermons by local pastors were added. 

In 1854, a Committee on Boarding Houses and Employment was 
appointed and thereafter was continued, doing the usual and familiar 
work of such a committee with varying success. 

Thus far the work of the early association was strictly within the 
lines indicated by the purposes of its foundation ; but to these they soon 
came to add other things, for which we find it hard in these later days to 
find any place in the proper sphere of association work. However 
admirable and fruitful they may have been, they were not proper activi- 
ties for a Young Men's Christian Association ; distributing tracts miscel- 
laneously by means of women colporteurs and conducting Sunday 
Schools for boys and girls are excellent things to do, but it was not for 
such purposes that the association was organized. 

The work of " Bible and Tract Distribution " was undertaken in 
1853 ; the city was thoroughly canvassed and divided into thirteen 
general districts; a large number of helpers, "the majority of them 
ladies," was secured and the work done from year to year very thor- 
oughly and systematically. Hundreds of bibles and thousands of tracts 
were distributed ; the churches furnished the bibles, the American Tract 
Society most of the tracts. 

In the spring of 1855, the Sunday School Association surrendered to 
the Union its entire work and all its books and interests ; this transferred 
to the Union the care of a number of mission Sunday Schools, having 
some 1,100 scholars in average attendance. The Union thereupon 
appointed a Committee on Mission Sunday Schools, established teachers' 

25 



^^^■^^ 





Rev. Edw. Bristol, 



W. W. Browx, 
1877. 






H. D. Blakeslee, 
1895-97. 

SOME PRESIDENTS OF THE ASSOCIATION WHO ARE STILL LIVING. 



W. H. Johnson, 
1892-95. 



bible classes, and started vigorously upon a Sunday School work, which 
it developed greatly during the sixties. We shall refer to these schools 
more fully in the next chapter. 

During this early period the finances of the association seem always 
to have been in a healthy condition, though the reports of various com- 
mittees show that many times the zealous ambition of the young men to 
expand was checked and defeated by lack of money. It is interesting to 
note that the annual membership fee was $1.00 and a life membership 
cost $20.00. 

We have called this a period of success ; the records evidence this, 
but here are the verdicts of two contemporaries, one a secular newspaper 
and the other a religious journal. The Commercial says editorially, on 
March 27, 1856 : 

The gentlemen composing the Union have exhibited a deal of energy and enterprise 
since the organization of the society about four years ago. After the struggles incident 
at the foundation of such an association and that attended its growth for a year or more, 
they have now attained a position surpassed by none. They have a fine hall, an excellent 
library, and a reading room where the leading religious papers of the United States can be 
found, and, withal, a treasury, replete with soundness. 

The Christian Advocate says, also editorially, July 3, 1856 : 

This is another of the leading associations of this city. Perhaps it should be placed 
at the head of all, in view of the moral and religious influence which it exerts, with the 
permanency of results anticipated. 

No sketch of this period would be complete without reference to the 
first International Convention of Young Men's Christian Associations, 
which was held in Buffalo on June 7 and 8, 1854. This convention has 
proven a very vital and controlling factor in the history of the Buffalo 
Association and of all American associations ; it is a matter of interest and 
proper pride to recall the fact that Buffalo, with Washington, took the initia- 
tive in the movement from the start, and that the calling, the holding, and 
the success of the gathering were largely the work of Buffalo men. 

A very important office in the Union from the beginning was that of 
the Corresponding Secretary, whose first duty was to " be the organ of this 
association in its correspondence with other societies." Buffalo was very 
zealous in its efforts to found new associations and bring them all into 
harmonious relations. In 1854, Mr. Oscar Cobb, then Corresponding 
Secretary, was authorized by the Board of Managers to join with the like 
officer of the Washington Association in a call for an American Conven- 

27 



tion. Accordingly, a circular letter was sent to all the associations, which 

began as follows : «,,.,, 

° Rooms Y. M. Christian Associations, 

Buffalo, N. Y., and Washington, D. C, 

Brother in Christ : February 28, 1854. 

There are now in the United States twenty-six Young Men's Christian Associations. 
Each of these several societies is organized on the principle that "union is strength"; its 
members are banded together that the strong in faith may aid the weak ; that the earnest 
and reliant may encourage the faint-hearted and wavering ; that they who rest calmly in 
the possession of a Saviour's love may, in God's name, run to meet those who are "yet a 
great way off." Why, then, should not the same motives also call us to unite our several 
associations in one cooperating institution ? 

After some reference to associated effort in other countries, the letter 
concluded with a series of questions, the first of which was, " Does your 
Association think favorably of the proposition to hold a convention of 
the American Associations ? " and included one asking for a choice of the 
convention city. This letter was signed by Oscar Cobb of Buffalo and 
Wm. Chauncy Langdon of Washington. 

An early tribute to Buffalo as a " convention city " is found in the 
replies to this communication. Twenty associations responded, sixteen 
favoring the proposed convention and four opposing, although willing to 
send delegates ; of the sixteen votes which named the place of meeting, 
nine favored Buffalo, six favored New York, with Buffalo second choice, 
and one favored Washington with Buffalo second choice. 

The convention gathered in the rooms of the Union at the corner of 
Main and Mohawk streets on Wednesday morning, June 7, 1854. The 
following associations were represented by thirty-seven delegates : Port- 
land, Me.; Portsmouth, N. H.; Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, Mass.; 
Buffalo, N. Y.; Pittsburg, Pa.; Washington, D. C. ; New Orleans, La.; 
Louisville and Lexington, Ky. ; Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio; Chi- 
cago, Quincy, and Peoria, 111.; St. Louis, Mo.; San Francisco, Cal. ; 
Toronto, Can. 

Buffalo was represented by Oscar Cobb, Jesse Clement, S. S. Guthrie, 
Edwin Jackson, Amos Williams, N. A. Halbert, E. A. Swan. 

The proceedings from first to last were well managed, business like, 
and characterized by great harmony and Christian fellowship ; it was 
essentially a working convention, and the only outside recreation seems 
to have been a well-planned and very delightful trip to Niagara Falls on 
the day following the adjournment of the convention, when the delegates 
were the guests of the local organization. 

28 



The chief outcome of this convention was the following historic 
series of resolutions : 

THE CONFEDERATION. 

i. RESOLVED, That this Convention recommend to the Young Men's Christian 
Associations of the United States and British Provinces the formation of a voluntary con- 
federation for their mutual encouragement, cooperation and usefulness, and that they 
recommend, when twenty-two Associations shall concur in the plan hereinafter suggested, 
the said confederation shall go into operation. 

2. RESOLVED, That a Convention of the Young Men's Christian Associations of 
the United States and British Provinces be held annually at such time and place as may 
be determined. 

3. RESOLVED, That while it would oftentimes be judicious to discuss in convention 
principles of organization and action, this body shall have no authority or control over the 
local affairs of any Association. 

4. RESOLVED, That a Central Committee be appointed, to consist of eleven mem- 
bers, five of whom shall be residents of the city where the committee shall for the time 
being be located, and shall be members of different religious denominations ; the remain- 
ing six to be selected from the Associations generally, not more than one member from 
any one Association. 

5. RESOLVED, That the Central Committee shall maintain correspondence with 
American and Foreign kindred bodies, promote the formation of new Associations, collect 
and diffuse appropriate information, and from time to time recommend to the local Asso- 
ciations such measures as may seem calculated to promote the general object ; but it shall 
not have authority to commit any local Association to any proposed plan of action until 
approved by said Association, nor to assess any pecuniary rate upon them without 
their consent. 

6. RESOLVED, That the Central Committee be appointed by this Convention, and 
continue in office until their successors are appointed by a subsequent Convention. 

7. RESOLVED, That the Central Committee shall ascertain the wishes of the 
different Associations in regard to the time and place of holding each annual Convention, 
and shall issue the call as nearly as possible in accordance therewith. 

The most important action of the convention, aside from these resolu- 
tions, was the determination that " while we look to members of these 
(evangelical) churches for our leading and governing influence, and, in 
order to preserve the Christian element, that such only should hold offices 
or vote on alterations of the constitution," yet the qualifications of mem- 
bership ought to be left to the individual association, and the broadest, 
widest, heartiest invitation ought to be extended to young men of all 
creeds, and of no creed, to share its privileges and enjoy its fellowship. 

The men of this convention built wisely and well, and upon their work 
in large degree has arisen the great international fellowship of to-day. 

29 



Chapter III. 

PERIOD OF ADVERSITY. 

THE early success of the association, thus briefly outlined, was phe- 
nomenal; there followed, first, a checking of the growth and then 
a slow recession from the high place of usefulness and public 
esteem which had been attained, until the day was reached when contem- 
poraries said its life was only nominal. The causes of this were perhaps 
many ; speaking from different view-points of experience or opinion, 
various explanations are offered by those who were friends of the asso- 
ciation during this time of trial ; but there are four causes which emerge 
as probably the largest contributors to the unfortunate result. 

The first cause was the financial embarrassment which grew out of the 
heavy burden of the Kremlin Hall lease. The move to these somewhat 
elaborate quarters was enterprising and apparently justified by first re- 
sults ; but it was perhaps premature and over bold, for the young organ- 
ization set for itself a pace which it could not maintain, was forced to 
move to poorer quarters, to contract rather than expand, and suffered 
the usual fate of all men and organizations which have to take steps 
backward from better to poorer things ; moreover, the confidence of the 
public in the business management was somewhat shaken. 

A second cause is found in the financial depression which was general 
throughout the country in the last years of the fifties and during the war, 
and which was severely felt in Buffalo. We do not need to explain why 
this affected such an enterprise. 

A third and more lasting cause was the absorption of the mind, the 
heart, the life, of the community in the great issues of the civil war ; to 
save the Union from disruption — that was the one desire of all hearts ; 
to accomplish this, the time, the service, the thought, the money, of all 
true citizens were freely devoted ; but for other issues and other en- 
deavors there was little time or disposition. It is not strange that the 
Young Men's Christian Union suffered with the rest. 

30 



It is possible that cause enough has already been named, but those 
who have studied the history of the Young Men's Christian Association, 
in the light of modern development, not alone here but throughout the 
world, see in the story of these years other conditions amply sufficient to 
cause disaster, and which, indeed, rendered success impossible. These 
conditions are found in the departure, which has already been noted, from 
those clear purposes and objectives which made the association originally 
a necessity and which alone could make it successful. What the times 
demanded was a work for young men, especially those strangers who 
were flocking to the great cities ; at the outset, the Buffalo Association 
had this purpose clearly in mind and sought to attain it by methods new, 
appropriate, and practically impossible to any other organization ; the 
methods were the same in kind as those which have been developed into 
the wonderful success of to-day. The business community and the churches 
saw their utility and the need of such an organization to use them, and gave 
a hearty support. After 1857, the association devoted* itself more and 
more to general missionary, evangelistic, and Sunday School enterprises ; 
these methods were not new or peculiar, could be done better by other 
agencies of the church, and needed no such organization as the Young- 
Men's Christian Association to carry them on. The churches felt uneasy 
because possibly here was a new sect, and business men felt it was a 
fifth wheel ; as a result, but little support was given. 

We feel that a study of this period, at all critical or at all true, de- 
mands that we say this much ; but fairness both to the local association 
and to the faithful workers of those days demands that we add these 
four things also. First, there was a theory under this course which was 
true and worthy and which constitutes a very important factor in associa- 
tion method to-day ; it becomes dangerous to association growth only 
when made to stand alone as the only method used. The theory is, that 
the improvement of the spiritual and mental conditions of young men 
can be attained by uniting and interesting them in some, or any, form of 
Christian work. Second, the Buffalo Association has not stood alone in 
this experience ; the first International Convention commended mission 
Sunday Schools and nearly every association has tried them, or other simi- 
lar endeavors, with nearly the same results. Almost without exception, 
the older associations have begun with clear and true ideas, which brought 
early and great prosperity ; have passed through what some have called 
the " Sunday School period," which brought failure and in many cases 
entire extinction ; and the survivors have then returned to first ideals 

31 




Robert B. Adam, 
President of the Association 



and have developed them into present conditions. Third, the course 
adopted was perhaps the necessary, or at least the natural, outcome of 
existing conditions. They were treading unknown ground ; they saw at 
first in what general direction lay success, but they did not know the pre- 
cise road ; it looked difficult and involved expense that seemed impos- 
sible ; they must go somewhither and so followed the lines of least re- 
sistance into familiar paths. Fourth, the men of those days did the work 
they undertook with zeal and rare devotion ; it was, moreover, done in 
many cases very effectively and great good has come of it, even although 
the organization, as such, did not prosper in the doing. 

We think of this period, sometimes, as a necessary one of hard experi- 
ence and fiery trial, out of which the association emerged with its con- 
viction so absolutely welded to right purposes and methods that the 
union can never be broken. The association has learned a lesson of 
loyalty to ideals which it will not soon forget. 

During the year 1857 the pressure of the heavy rental which the 
Union had agreed to pay for Kremlin Hall began to be felt, and an ar- 
rangement was made with the landlords which permitted the organization 
to give up the hall proper and retain the other rooms on the third floor 
at an annual rental of $300. Financial conditions, however, grew steadily 
worse, and in 1859 the indebtedness of the Union became so great and so 
pressing that heroic remedies were required. After much search, a room 
was secured on the third floor of " Mr. Brisbane's Block " on Main Street, 
which block was afterwards known as the " Arcade," and stood on the site 
of the present Mooney-Brisbane Building. For this room they agreed to 
pay a rental of $50 from December 12, 1859, to May 1, i860. The 
Union settled with the owners of Kremlin Hall by turning over some of 
the best of its furniture and by paying $150 in cash, which it borrowed 
of a friend, securing the loan by a chattel mortgage on the library. In 
May, the Union moved into a room on the second floor of the same 
building, where it agreed to pay an annual rental of $100. About two 
years later it moved again to other rooms on the third floor, which were 
more commodious and also apparently a little cheaper. The library was 
installed in these various rooms, but evidently they were scantily furnished, 
for chairs had to be rented whenever a meeting of any considerable size 
was held. 

On February 3, 1865, the Union moved into a room, or rooms, on the 
third floor of the building of the Young Men's Association, on the site of 
the Iroquois Hotel, and afterwards the quarters were transferred to other 

33 



rooms on the fifth floor of the same building. These quarters were 
secured at a merely nominal rent. The Union had never before gone so 
high up for an abiding place, but nevertheless it registered low water 
mark in its history. A signed communication in the Christian Advocate, 
in its issue of February 9, 1865, says : 

The Board of Managers of the Young Men's Christian Union held their first meeting in 
their rooms in the Young Men's Association Building last Friday evening. The occasion 
was a very pleasant one. Their rooms are beautiful and commodious and the prospects for 
the future of this Association are cheering. The Board are very anxious that this Associ- 
ation shall take a higher rank and prove a more efficient power for good in this city. The 
Association has always been too much embarrassed by a depleted treasury, and has not 
received the support its objects merit. The Board have determined to bestir themselves, 
to double their diligence, and make the present year the most prosperous in its history. 
With our pleasant relation to the Young Men's Association, our pleasant suite of rooms, 
and our harmonious Board of Managers, we hope to rise and let our light shine. 

We fear this report is a little too optimistic, for many remember these 
quarters as barren, deserted, cheerless. Part of the books were not 
placed on the shelves, but remained in boxes ; as we shall see, the Union 
was too busy with Sunday Schools to think much of its own quarters. 
Here in this lofty perch the Union remained until the dawning of more 
ambitious days. 

It is unfortunate that during this period of twelve years there is prac- 
tically no record of membership. But few annual reports were printed 
and only two have been preserved among the records. In these two 
there is no list of members nor statement concerning the membership, 
except that certain numbers had joined during the year. The Treasurer's 
accounts are very incomplete and the minutes show the records of elec- 
tion, but not of resignation or quiet dropping out by non-payment of 
dues. Moreover, the local newspapers gave very little space to the 
Union during this period. But from various indications, found here and 
there, a general idea of the membership can be formed. In 1857, the 
total was 846 ; in 1858, we find the Treasurer reporting $512 received 
from membership dues, which would indicate a paying membership of 
256, for the dues were then two dollars annually ; to this must be added 
forty life members. We have a full Treasurer's report for 1861, which 
shows $340 received from dues, which indicates an annual membership of 
170. In 1862, we find the Treasurer presenting a budget in which he 
estimates receipts from membership dues, on the basis of past years, at 
$150, which would indicate an annual membership of 75. The dues 

34 



were, in 1863, reduced to $1.00, but no evidence is found of any marked 
increase in membership during this period ; it is probable that the Union 
had a paying membership of from fifty to one hundred men. 

Finances were always troublesome ; after clearing off the debt which 
was the legacy of Kremlin Hall, the Union met its liabilities until i860, 
when its financial enterprises were quite successful. John B. Gough lec- 
tured three times under the auspices of the Union, and his course netted 
$554.93. A festival was held which netted $216.04. The following con- 
cerning this festival, taken from the Christian Advocate, may be found 
interesting : 

The Young Men's Christian Union of this city contemplates an event of unusual 
liveliness within a few days at St. James Hall. About fifty ladies from the several 
churches and ladies of noteworthy position have taken charge of the affair. It, of course, 
will and must be successful. Speeches, music, and eating always attract the multitude. 
The Christian Union is one of the enterprises which should receive the favor of all good 
citizens. The community at large know but little of what the Union is doing. From 
fifteen to twenty mission Sabbath Schools have been commenced and are sustained by 
them, besides a vast amount of moral and religious labor expended on other objects of 
great interest. In fact, we know of no organization whose labor is more extensive and 
self-sacrificing. The Union should be sustained and encouraged, and we invite our 
citizens to attend the approaching festival on Monday evening next, at St. James Hall. 
— December 13, i860. 

The Union's festival, which took place Monday evening at St. James Hall, was the 
leading and most successful one which has yet been given. One of the largest audiences 
was in attendance. The President of the Union, Dr. John D. Hill, gave it his personal 
supervision, and with his assistants, not excepting the ladies, managed the affair through- 
out most admirably. Speeches were delivered during the evening by H. W. Rogers, Esq. , 
Wm. C. Bryant, Esq., Mr. J. N. Larned of the Express, and Rev. Dr. Heacock. The 
music also was fascinating. The supper prepared by the ladies was a prominent feature, 
of course, of the evening. — December 20, i860. 

The surplus thus created was carefully husbanded and seems to have 
covered the annual deficiency for several years. 

In this year also the association received its first large gift, $1,000, 
from Gaius B. Rich, which was held, for a time, as a permanent endowment. 

Thereafter funds came, by dint of hard work, from lecture courses, 
annual festivals, or "teas," an entertainment given by the Central High 
School which netted $300, church collections, and private subscriptions. 

David Gray continued to act as librarian until February 1, 1859, when 
he handed in his resignation, which was accepted. No reason for this is 
stated, but it is not hard to imagine that a man of Gray's great ability 

35 




mm:'. 








Central Building, 
Corner of Mohawk, Pearl, and Genesee streets. 



was very rapidly becoming justly ambitious for more remunerative em- 
ployment, while the Union was with equal rapidity becoming less able 
properly to compensate such a man. He was followed by R. McEwen, 
who served until December 27, 1859, for $3.00 per week, at which time he 
made way for James J. Sargent, to whom the Union paid $1.00 per week. 
On April 17, i860, the Rev. P. G. Cook first entered the Union's employ 
as librarian at a salary of $2.00 per week ; he seems from the first to 
have devoted much of his time to general city work and was called upon 
the records the Union's " City Missionary," in November of that year ; 
in 1861, however, he was reengaged as librarian at a salary of $3.00 per 
week, and so continued until April 29, 1862, when he was reported to 
have been engaged as city missionary by a number of city churches. 
Mr. Cook's place as librarian was taken by his son, Titus G. Cook, at a 
salary of $50.00 annually. After this the thread of succession in this 
office seems to have been lost ; no further records of paid and regular 
librarians can be found. The entire energy of the Union was now thrown 
into the work of city evangelization and Sunday School extension ; the 
great ambition of the Board of Managers became the employment of a 
city missionary. After much planning and discussion, Rev. W. J. Bruce 
was, in June, 1863, engaged for a trial period of three months, but his 
efforts not proving successful nor satisfactory, the engagement was not 
renewed. On March 15, 1864, Rev. James Dubois was engaged as city 
missionary, and on July 11, 1865, Rev. P. G. Cook was engaged, at a 
salary of $1,000, and H. Alward as assistant, for work among the Ger- 
mans ; he received an annual salary of $100 for two days' work each 
week. Mr. Cook undertook his work with great vigor and devotion ; 
probably few men have ever been better adapted for such work and few 
men have been more successful. He was still in office at the close of the 
period of which we are now writing. 

We have spoken of rooms, numbers, money, and paid workers ; these 
are important because they indicate the plant, the tools, the means, but 
the things of ultimate importance are the work and the results. 

In 1865, the Union caused to be published in some of the local papers 
a statement of the purposes and work of the organization, in order that 
" the public might know and appreciate what it was doing." This is 
interesting, as showing what was the inspiring ambition of the workers 
of this period ; it began as follows : 

We call the attention of the people of Buffalo to the fact that there is an organiza- 
tion founded upon the cardinal principles of " good will to men," whose object is to preach 

87 



the gospel to the poor — to establish Sunday Schools in remote parts of the city — to 
induce the poor children who do nothing but play in the streets on Sunday to come to 
these mission schools and learn the facts and feel the influences of our holy Christianity — 
to reach the parents through their children — to scatter religious truth among the igno- 
rant — to make a pleasant home for young men of our city, upon whom soon must rest 
the civil and religious responsibilities of their fathers — to introduce young men coming 
into our midst to worthy associates and throw around them the bonds of Christian fellow- 
ship — thus keeping them, while away from good influences of home, secure against the 
ten thousand allurements to vice in a great city — and placing them in good standing in 
society, surrounded by friends ready to give counsel and aid, thus begetting and cultivating 
a love for all that is good and worthy in life. 

We will briefly review what the Union did in carrying out this pro- 
gramme. The work of the Library and Rooms Committee was evidently 
permitted to languish ; there are indications that the rooms were very 
poorly supplied with reading matter ; and that the library, while it grew 
slowly until it numbered two thousand volumes, was often neglected and 
illy cared for. There was during this period something of a rivalry 
between the Union and the Young Men's Association in the matter of 
library, and the latter organization was more successful in reaching the 
people's good will and pocketbooks. We are compelled to believe that 
the Union rooms were not very attractive during this period and did not 
draw large numbers of young men. 

Lecture courses were given from time to time ; never quite so ambi- 
tious as those of earlier days, but some of them must have been very fine 
and must have helped the reputation of the L T nion very materially. 
While the moral quality in these lectures were never lost sight of, they 
seem to have been thought of largely as a source of revenue. 

The Committee on Intellectual Improvement, until the beginning of 
war days, was very active and reported regular meetings for this purpose. 
But little that is definite can be found concerning these meetings, although 
they seem to have been conducted largely upon the usual lines of literary 
societies. 

The work of bible and tract distribution was continued, but was 
gradually merged in the general work of the city missionaries. 

As we have said, the real strength of this period went into missionary 
effort and general Christian and benevolent work in city and country. 
This work may be divided into three general kinds, which were largely 
distinct, although necessarily the connection between them was very close. 
First, there was charitable or relief work ; at one time toys and other 
Christmas gifts were provided for the children at the County Poorhouse ; 



at another time, $100 was voted to buy clothing for destitute children ; 
again, a regular relief bureau was organized, and at various times many- 
calls were made upon poor families by the city missionaries, and clothing, 
supplies, and money distributed. The record cannot be read without the 
conviction that very great good was accomplished through these efforts. 
Secondly, came a variety of Christian undertakings, which we may per- 
haps group under the general term Evangelistic ; services were held at 
the poorhouse, at the jail and penitentiary ; prayer meetings and preach- 
ing services were held at different points in the city which the churches 
did not reach, and where the beauty of Christ's gospel was rarely preached 
and still more rarely practiced. The first city missionary, Mr. Bruce, 
apparently gave his time exclusively to purely evangelistic work, and 
Mr. Cook, later, was largely engaged in it. In 1859, the Union began 
an effort to extend its field of labor beyond the limits of the city, and 
meetings were held at " destitute places where they had no regular relig- 
ious services " in the surrounding country. A large number of such 
meetings were held ; but, in 1863, the men concluded that there was 
ample opportunity for labor within the city itself and the work of " Coun- 
try Visitation " was formally abandoned. The third kind of work was 
that of organizing and conducting mission Sunday Schools, which was 
begun during the previous period and continued with great vigor in this. 
P. G. Cook was elected Chairman of the Sabbath School Committee, on 
September 14, 1858, and from that time the mission schools began more 
and more to monopolize the energies of the Union, for Mr. Cook's heart 
was in this work and he threw himself with all the vigor of his strong 
personality into its prosecution. We cannot give even in outline the story 
of this work ; it constitutes a history by itself — perhaps we should say a 
series of histories. It is impossible, likewise, to measure or even name the 
results with any accuracy ; but some things that are permanent and of 
great value grew out of the Union's Sunday Schools. One school, started 
on Canal Street, was afterwards removed to Virginia Street and has since 
become the Prospect Avenue Baptist Church. What was known as the 
Sixth Street Mission, after being sustained for several years by the Union, 
passed under the care of the First Presbyterian Church and became the 
West Side Presbyterian Church. Another mission school, organized and 
conducted on High Street, was afterwards placed under the care of the 
Washington Street Baptist Church and became the High Street German 
Baptist Church. Another school was organized in what was known as 
the " Soldiers' Rest " on Exchange Street, was afterwards moved to Wells 

39 




Stephen M. Clement. 



* P „ 





William A. Rogers. 




William H. Walker. 




Robert R. Hefford. John W. Robinson. 

Pascal P. Pratt (22). Robert B. Adam (32). John J. McWilliams (44). 

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, JUBILEE YEAR. 



Street, and finally became the Wells Street Church, which is now located 
on Stanton Street and known as Bethesda Presbyterian Church. 

In this connection it is interesting to note the curious fact that one 
result of this work for young men was the founding of the " Home for 
the Friendless," a retreat for aged women ; the project was first efficiently 
urged by Mr. Edward Bristol, as president of the Union, and the first 
meeting held to consider it was called and presided over by him. Another 
curious outcome of the efforts of the young men of these and succeed- 
ing days was the founding of " Ingleside Home " for fallen women, which 
grew out of the work carried on at the Evans Street Mission. 

The War of the Rebellion brought with it many new conditions and 
new duties. Hundreds of thousands of young men massed in garrisons, 
in camps and on the field, all of them in the midst of the temptations 
and manifold evils that are the handmaidens of war, and yet standing 
daily in the presence of the awful mystery of sudden death, presented a 
marvelous opportunity to the Church of Christ and confronted it with a 
most solemn duty. The Central Committee of the Young Men's Chris- 
tian Association accepted the opportunity and organized the Christian 
Commission ; all the world knows of the work of this commission, but all 
the world does not know, perhaps, that it was but another name for 
Young Men's Christian Association ; it is a beautiful story of absorbing 
interest and has been often told. Buffalo did its share nobly and well. 
Dr. John D. Hill was at the outset made a member of the National Com- 
mission and throughout the war was Chairman of the local Army Com- 
mittee. A large number of soldiers were stationed in Buffalo at " Camp 
Morgan ;" the first efforts of the Union were directed towards these men; 
meetings were held and good reading matter supplied. As the war 
grew in greatness, the need of greater efforts was felt. A splendid meet- 
ing, under the auspices of the Union, was held at the North Church, at 
which Dr. John C. Lord presided ; this was the first of many similar 
meetings held during the war period. The Union was able to send two 
missionaries into the field in 1862, and Dr. Hill is authority for the state- 
ment that over $ 100,000 was raised by the Army Committee in Buffalo 
and devoted to this work for the soldiers of the Union. The work of 
this committee was vigorously, effectively, and successfully done, and con- 
stitutes a bright page in the association's history. 

In the year 1868 the Union occupied very unsatisfactory quarters ; its 
membership was small ; there were long gaps between Board meetings ; 
its life had gone largely into its mission efforts, which now hardly 

41 



required the mediation of the Union. At this time a number of earnest 
young men of different churches were conducting a series of noon-day 
prayer meetings in the First Presbyterian Church ; the meetings had 
been so successful that the young men felt the need of some more defi- 
nite organization, in order to conserve the energy which had been devel- 
oped. A meeting was held on August n, 1868, and the following reso- 
lutions were adopted : 

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this meeting that it is the duty of the young men 
to connect themselves with the Young Men's Christian Union of this city and work 
through them for the interest of Christ and humanity. 

Resolved, That we will apply for membership in said society at the first opportunity. 

Resolved, That those in favor of joining the Young Men's Christian Union sign their 
names to a petition to the President and Board of Managers of that society. 

The petition was thereupon drawn up and signed by the following : 
I. G. Jenkins, G. W. Comstock, Charles H. Baker, P. A. Lee, E. E. Rich- 
ardson, G. W. Lewis, P. R. Laughlin, E. McAllister, William B. Robinson, 
H. Dagenhard, Wm. R. Frary, F. E. Coulson, J. E. Baker, Francis Bray- 
ley, F. E. Kneeland, S. S. Kingsley, James Campbell, E. C. Warner, C. J. 
Dinsmore, F. G. Hunt, H. M. Birge, Robert Thorn, J. S. Halbert, C. 
Hubbell, E. P. Bowen. 

On August 20th these young men met in conference with the Manag- 
ers of the Union, presented their petition and were duly elected members, 
without payment of dues. 

We have given this incident quite fully because, coming at the moment 
it did, the accession was of very great importance to the Union. It 
brought new life, new ideas, and new hope into the organization and was 
one of the things which marked the beginning of better days. 



42 



Chapter IV. 

PERIOD OF RECONSTRUCTION. 

ABOUT the year 1869 there came into the life of the association a 
spirit of unrest and righteous discontent ; the little band of 
- faithful men, who had stood by the organization and had given to 
it so generously of their time, money, and service, seemed to realize that 
something different was needed if the best success were to be achieved, 
or if the avowed purpose of working for young men were to be attained in 
any effective sense. 

A number of influences undoubtedly contributed to this condition, 
most of them coming from without the city itself. In 1869, the evan- 
gelical test was adopted and defined at the International Convention held 
at Portland ; this action unified the associations of the country and per- 
manently fixed and solidified their essential character. In some way, 
which we will not attempt to explain, the adoption of the " Portland Test " 
seems to have given a new and great inspiration to the movement every- 
where. Robert McBurney of New York City, " Father McBurney " to all 
association secretaries, had been for years hammering away, in his own 
city and before conventions, at that which was to him his very life, the 
need and methods of a distinctive work by young men for young men ; 
at the close of the decade the influence of his work was beginning to be 
widely felt. During the latter half of the decade, the International Com- 
mittee, which, during the early part of its existence, had wandered from 
city to city, having been centered for three years in Buffalo during the 
fifties, was permanently located in New York, and soon afterward Mr. Rich- 
ard C. Morse began his service as secretary for the committee. With 
these changes came new life and new tendencies, and these all flowed in 
the direction of distinctive work for young men. Again, New York City, 
in 1869, furnished an object lesson in brick and mortar ; for during that 
year the association of that city was building a fine structure on 23d Street, 
which was the first building, it is claimed, ever designed and built exclu- 

43 




John J. McWilliams, 
Treasurer of the Association. 



sively for the work of a Young Men's Christian Association. The basis 
and inspiration of this building, to quote the words of the then president 
of the New York Association, was, " The idea that if a building could be 
erected answering to a club house for young men, with everything in it 
calculated to exert a cheering and brotherly influence, where they could 
grasp a friendly hand when they came in, and where a gymnasium and 
music and classes for study were to be found, as well as religious and 
bible meetings, an influence would thus be exerted upon these young men 
that would hold and gradually mould them until their habits were fixed 
in the right direction." 

These sidelights from without, when they fell upon the serious con- 
ditions within — a city full of young men and also full of wickedness and 
irreligion, an association doing but very little for very few young men and 
having a very hard time doing that little — brought a conviction that 
there should be new and different effort, and suggested the direction this 
effort should take. 

Just about this time came the addition of a fine body of young men, 
to which reference was made in the last chapter ; it brought new strength 
and encouragement, both because it added many zealous workers to the 
membership and because it showed that young men anxious to do some- 
thing to help other young men turned naturally to the Union. 

This spirit of unrest and craving for better things found expression in 
many ways, to some of which we will refer in detail : a determination to 
fall in line with the rest of the country in the matter of name, a desire to 
secure better rooms, to place these rooms in constant charge of a compe- 
tent man, who should be neither librarian nor city missionary; to secure a 
building of their own, to cut off some of the work, and to begin a more 
distinctive work for young men. To attain all these things, in any large 
degree, required a fifteen years' struggle, a long and weary effort, full of 
discouragement and disappointments, with times of backsliding as well as 
times of climbing ; but the men of this period were men of great courage 
and indomitable perseverance ; they were strong men, who were used to 
succeeding where they attempted ; moreover, they had the consciousness 
that it was the Master's work, and in that sign they ultimately conquered. 

For eighteen years the Buffalo organization had held a unique posi- 
tion in the national brotherhood, in that it had differed from all others in 
its name. It seems somewhat strange that this difference had in nowise 
affected its position in the brotherhood, nor apparently caused any 
especial comment either at home or abroad ; and yet, with the reawaken- 

45 



ing life, came a natural desire to harmonize with other asssociations 
in this respect as well as others. The change seems, however, to have 
been made with very little discussion. In 1862, Dr. J. D. Hill had 
given notice that he would present an amendment to the constitution 
changing the name ; the proposed amendment was referred to a com- 
mittee to report as to its legality ; this committee never reported, and 
Dr. Hill's resolution was never brought up. 

On December 7, 1869, the records of the Board of Managers show the 
following entry : " Upon motion, the Committee on Rooms was instructed 
to use upon the signs to be procured by them as the name of this institu- 
tion the ' Young Men's Christian Association.'" This seems rather an 
informal way to inaugurate so important a change. At the annual meet- 
ing, held March 17, 1870, the new name was adopted by resolution and 
not by constitutional amendment. No further thought was given to the 
matter until 1879, when an act was passed by the State Legislature con- 
firming and ratifying the change thus informally made and legalizing all 
acts done under the name of the Young Men's Christian Association of 
Buffalo. 

Immediately after the accession of members already referred to, the 
Board seemed to realize the necessity of securing rooms which might in 
some measure, at least, enable the association to fulfill its purpose of 
providing a place of gathering for young men. Investigation and dis- 
cussion were started and as a result, on November 8, 1869, the Board met 
for the first time in the room over No. 302 Main Street, which had been 
secured at an annual rental of $250. Pledges amounting to $400 an- 
nually had been secured and new furniture had been purchased. At this 
first meeting the Board, full of new enthusiasm and ambition, ordered a 
thorough rebinding and general overhauling of the library, and arranged 
for a very creditable assortment of magazines and papers for the reading- 
room tables. 

But this room was soon outgrown ; for in November, 1870, a com- 
mittee was appointed to look about for suitable rooms for a gymnasium. 
This is an interesting fact, as it is the first official recognition of the pro- 
priety or possibility of caring for a young man's body as well as his mind 
and spirit. 

On January 1, 187 1, the association moved into very convenient and 
accessible rooms over the store at 319 Main Street ; here the Board had 
secured three rooms at an annual rental of $350, with the privilege of 
taking the rest of the floor at any time for $150 more. This additional 

46 



space consisted of a large room, which was, on April 18, 187 1, rented by 
the association and fitted up as a lecture room or hall, with a seating 
capacity of about 200. These rooms were very largely visited by young 
men, particularly strangers and clerks from the city stores, many of whom 
fell into the habit of spending their evenings there. So great was the 
increase in attendance that during the first year it was found necessary 
very largely to increase the supply of reading matter on the tables. The 
reading room and library at this time were free to all comers. 

In 1875, the association moved again into another suite of rooms over 
345 Main Street, at the corner of North Division Street. These rooms 
were well adapted to the purpose, and were very handsomely furnished 
by ladies of different churches ; they were not as large as other quarters 
the association had occupied, but were, perhaps, the most attractive and 
homelike in appearance. Here the association remained for three years, 
hoping earnestly and persistently that the next move might be into a build- 
ing of its own. As the consummation of this ambition seemed to remove 
itself farther and farther into the future, the Directors realized that some- 
thing must be done to bridge over the interim. Plans for the kind of 
work they wanted to do were taking more definite shape in their minds, 
but they could not be carried out in the quarters then occupied. The 
idea of occupying the old Court House, then about to be abandoned by 
the county, began to be discussed. There were evidently two sides to the 
question, for apparently contradictory action was taken at different times, 
and we think all were reluctant to take the step, because it seemed to 
push the day of a permanent home still farther into the future ; but the 
arrangement was finally made, and on April 30, 1878, the Board held its 
first meeting in the old Court House building on Clinton Street, which 
had been leased at a nominal rent. This move, so far from hinder- 
ing the progress of the building project, very essentially aided it ; for this 
building, old, inconvenient, and out of repair, was yet the largest the associ- 
ation had ever occupied and made it possible to try the doing of a definite 
work for young men along modern lines ; so great were the results 
accomplished, under circumstances so unfavorable and environment so 
disagreeable, that the wisdom of the methods used was demonstrated and 
the conscience and active interest of the community aroused. The build- 
ing was in very bad repair and there was much confusion in the use of rooms 
during the first year. In March, 1879, however, action was taken provid- 
ing that the gymnasium, which had been started on the third floor, should 
be brought down to the first ; that the second floor should be devoted to 

47 





I. I. Prentiss. 



G. R. Howard. 





S. S. Kingsley. 



W. A. Joyce. 





F. W. H. Becker. 

R. B. Adam (32). 
F. E. Sickels (58). 



J.J. McWlLLIAMS (44). 

A. E. Hedstrom (58). 



J. H. Daniels, M. D. 

J. W. Robinson (40). 
T. Speyser (58). 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS, JUBILEE YEAR. 



reading room, library, parlor, and office, and the third floor used as a hall. 
The building was accordingly meagerly equipped after this plan and 
rented from May i, 1879, for two years, at an annual rental of $300 ; 
and here the association remained until it entered into the promised land 
of its own home in 1884. 

Among the young men who came in upon petition in 1868 was an 
active, earnest young fellow, still attending school and very anxious to do 
all that he could in the Master's service ; this was Isaac G. Jenkins, who 
was in 1870 elected Corresponding Secretary, and who began at once to 
devote much of his time to the association. He made the rooms his 
headquarters, spending there all the time he could spare from his other 
duties, and very much of the success of the association, during the first 
years of its new life, was due to his untiring activity and consecrated 
effort. 

On April 5, 1870, the Board found itself heavily in debt to Mr. Cook, 
who still continued in his office of "City Missionary." His time had 
recently been devoted largely to the mission work at Wells Street Chapel 
and it was not deemed wise nor necessary to continue the association's 
connection with that enterprise, which had gained a multitude of friends 
of its own. So, at this time, in the very pleasantest way, the relations 
between the association and Mr. Cook were severed and the salary mat- 
ter was adjusted, partially by turning over to Mr. Cook everything con- 
nected with the Wells Street Chapel. 

On April 1, 187 1, the Board arranged with Mr. Jenkins, who was still 
Corresponding Secretary, to devote all his time to the service of the asso- 
ciation upon a salary of $50 per month. That same year the first con- 
ference of paid association workers was held in connection with the Inter- 
national Convention at Washington ; eleven men attended this confer- 
ence, of whom Mr. Jenkins was one, and it was there determined that the 
chief paid officer of each association should be called a " General Secre- 
tary." After some uncertainty and wavering, the new name was gradu- 
ally adopted in Buffalo. 

Mr. Jenkins continued in office until January 11, 1878, when he sent 
in his resignation to the Board ; there seem to have been two reasons 
lying back of this step : first, the fact that the association was very far 
in arrears in the payment of his salary, and, second, a disagreement, 
pleasant in its spirit and yet apparently irreconcilable, concerning 
methods of work and the duties of a General Secretary. At the request 
of the Board, this resignation was withdrawn until after the association 

49 



might become settled in its new quarters in the Court House, but was 
again presented on June 25, 1878, and accepted, to take effect August 
1st following. 

After Mr. Jenkins left, Mr. Charles A. Coxe was employed as 
" Managing Director " or " Acting General Secretary," as he was 
variously called, at Mr. Jenkins' salary ; this arrangement was continued 
for about two months and was then cancelled for financial reasons. 

On October 14, 1878, Mr. John Steinacker, who had previously been 
employed as janitor and gymnasium superintendent, was " requested to 
take possession of the rooms and act under direction of the Board "; we 
quote the language of the resolution. His salary was fixed at six dollars 
each week. Mr. Steinacker does not appear to have been ever formally 
appointed General Secretary, but he seems gradually to have assumed 
the usual duties and prerogatives of that office, was referred to on many 
occasions as General Secretary, and signed two annual reports as such. 
There seems to be a difference of opinion among the active men of that 
day concerning the position which Mr. Steinacker occupied ; these facts 
are stated as they appear upon the records, because they probably fur- 
nish an explanation for this confusion. On February 7, 1880, Mr. Stein- 
acker resigned, and, on the same date, Mr. Charles B. Wheeler, who was 
then a Director, was formally elected General Secretary, without pay, but 
with power to employ Mr. G. H. Tackabury as assistant at a salary not 
exceeding sixty dollars per month. This temporary arrangement was 
superseded in July of the same year, when Mr. John B. Squire began his 
service as General Secretary. Mr. Squire was recommended, and indeed 
secured, by Mr. George A. Hall, State Secretary. He came to Buffalo 
fresh from Williams College, full of enthusiasm and zeal for the profes- 
sion he had chosen. His coming synchronized with a fresh impulse in 
the development of distinctive work for young men throughout the entire 
country ; Mr. Squire was in complete touch with this development and 
soon was reckoned among the leaders in the great movement. His 
coming marks the beginning in Buffalo of modern methods in any 
form at all complete or exclusive. 

The membership record during this period shows great fluctuation. 
In reading it, the fact must not be forgotten that until the association 
moved into the old Court House building there were very few young 
men attracted into membership because of the privileges offered. Nearly 
everything the association had to offer was free to everybody and it was 
only the active workers who became members. In September, 187 1, the 

50 



constitution was amended so as to permit two classes of members, active 
and associate, the latter class including any young man of good moral 
character. The creation of this class rendered possible the growth of a 
large privilege-using membership, and has had a great and very benefi- 
cent effect upon the life of the association. Prior to 1869 the member- 
ship was very small, as we have already seen. During 187 1 a mighty 
and very successful effort was made to bring in new men ; at one meet- 
ing, in March of that year, 163 new members were elected, including 
many who have since become very active in the association ; in 1872, the 
total membership was 632 ; after that there was a falling off, there being 
only 159 in 1875 an d 281 in 1878 ; in 1880, with the coming of Mr. 
Squire, the greater attractiveness of the quarters and the certainty of the 
new building, a rapid climb upward began ; there were 429 members that 
year ; 706 in 1882, and 935 in 1883. 

During all this period the financial problem was always vital and some- 
times very troublesome. Mr. Cook's salary was badly in arrears and so 
was Mr. Jenkins', but for all that, the people of Buffalo gave largely and 
generously to the association when called upon, and it is worthy of note 
that there seems never to have been a time, when the association was in. 
great need and carried its need earnestly and prayerfully to the people, 
that there was not found a ready and sufficient response. An illustration 
of this is found in the financial crisis of 1878, when the association was 
badly in debt, was forced to let Mr. Jenkins go, and seemed for the 
moment almost discouraged ; in December a committee, consisting of 
Mr. George N. Pierce and Mr. Charles B. Armstrong, took hold of the 
matter with vigor and with faith, and in a few days raised $1,500, thus 
retrieving the financial situation. The ladies came grandly to the rescue 
on various occasions, notably in the Church Union Bazaar and the Authors'" 
Carnival, to which we shall again refer. 

It has been noted, that, at the beginning of this period, there grew up 
a new determination to do a more distinctive work for young men ; there 
was, however, great difficulty in agreeing upon the best methods and still 
greater difficulty in securing the plant and the money for such new 
methods as were agreed upon ; but a careful study of the different lines 
of work followed during this period will show an essential distinction 
between most of them and the lines followed during the previous period * 
the work of that period had as its essential principle the idea of uniting 
young men in religious work — for anybody, man, woman, or child ; the 
essential principle of this period was the idea of uniting young men in 

51 




Alfred H. Whitford, 
1898 . 

GENERAL SECRETARIES. 



helpful and, in its broadest sense, religious work — for young men. Much 
of the work would not now be considered wise nor quite appropriate, but 
most of it was designed primarily to reach young men of some sort. 

In September, 187 1, the constitution under the title " object" was 
amended by inserting the word "physical," so as to make it read, "The 
object of this association shall be the improvement of the spiritual, mental, 
social, and physical condition of young men"; thus, at last, the associa- 
tion came to recognise that marvelous trinity in man, each member of 
which is God-given, and cannot be safely despised nor neglected by God's 
Church — body, mind, spirit. The plans announced for the year 1872 
included a " gymnasium complete in all appointments"; but this plan 
was not realized. The association had no gymnasium until it came to 
occupy the old Court House ; then the old vaults on the ground floor 
were nicely fitted up, the young men invited in and classes started. The 
young men came, and no stronger proof of the need of the new building, 
then slowly becoming a reality, could be furnished than the sight of eager 
young men standing up for class drill, so many in numbers that they 
filled the ugly old rooms, spread out into the hallways and almost over- 
flowed into the street. If so many would come here, what would happen 
with rooms really attractive ? 

On May 6, 187 1, at a large meeting held to celebrate the opening of 
the new lecture room at No. 319 Main Street, a detailed announcement 
was made concerning the programme of the association. No better idea 
of the work at the beginning of this period can be given than by reproduc- 
ing this list, numbered as we find it, stopping to add such words of com- 
ment and explanation as may be demanded. 

i. A noon-day prayer meeting. This was open to all, but intended 
especially for business men. The meetings had been started some months 
before and continued with varying results, and with many long breaks, 
for several years. 

2. A Thursday evening meeting for young men. This was not long 
continued. 

3. Cottage prayer meetings. These were held in different parts of 
the city, were open to all classes and sexes, and continued with consider- 
able success for many years. 

4. Open air meetings on the Sabbath. These meetings were con- 
tinued at various times for many years. They were preaching and sing- 
ing services of the familiar kind, in the slums, with a hydrant, a barrel, or 

53 



a box for a pulpit, and with such a changing crowd as could be brought 
together. The young men did the preaching ; the work was very helpful 
to the worker, and brought, we are assured, large results on many 
occasions. 

5. Sunday evening service at the Canal Street mission. 

6. Sunday afternoon service at the jail. This service was continued 
by the association for many years. 

7. Sermons to young men, once a month, alternately in the churches. 
We find no record concerning the carrying out of this plan. 

8. Sunday afternoon bible class in lecture room. Continued with 
varying success for some time and has grown into the present form of 
Sunday afternoon service. 

9. General monthly meeting. 

10. Social meetings for members and lady friends once in two 
months. 

In the following year, the Saturday evening prayer meeting for young 
men was started. An effort was made to make Saturday evening very 
attractive socially, so as to draw young men into the rooms ; at nine 
o'clock an invitation was given them tactfully, not urgently nor offen- 
sively, to come into a short meeting for prayer ; at first very few ac- 
cepted the invitation, but within a short time there were over fifty young 
men each week, and the meetings were continued very successfully for 
many years. 

There were added at different times thereafter regular weekly services 
at the Penitentiary, the Almshouse, Ingleside Home, and Home for the 
Friendless, some of which were continued for many years ; missions were 
conducted on State Street, Commercial Street, and at other similar points ; 
the distribution of tracts was continued more or less regularly for many 
years ; a " flower mission " was for some time carried on, the purpose of 
which was the furnishing of flowers to the sick in hospitals and the im- 
prisoned in jail and penitentiary ; a gospel tent was at one time kept 
open for evangelistic services, and many other similar enterprises showed 
great activity and zeal in Christian service. 

Two enterprises deserve more than passing notice. In the fall of 
1872, the association, which had always given time and money for relief 
work, undertook a more ambitious plan for helping the worthy poor, par- 
ticularly men. At No. 98 Pearl Street, they opened the Holly Tree Soup 

54 



and Coffee Room, and on January ist of the following year we find the 
room in full working order and doing a flourishing business. Meals were 
sold at very low prices or were furnished upon the presentation of tickets, 
which the association distributed through its friends and in various other 
ways. The winter of 1873-4 promised to be a hard one, with much suf- 
fering among the poorer classes ; extraordinary efforts were therefore 
made to provide a large relief fund. Here the ladies, as usual, came to 
the rescue and a grand Church Union Bazaar was held, which netted the 
goodly sum of $2,708.82. This bazaar was remarkably successful in 
every way, socially as well as financially ; society women as well as the 
always faithful women of the evangelical churches became interested and 
many a good friend was made for the association. In addition to this 
fund, $1,700 was raised by a committee headed by Mr. D. P. Rumsey, 
and the Holly Tree Soup and Coffee Room was duly launched upon 
another prosperous and useful winter's work. The room was closed on 
April 11, 1874, after having disbursed $2,805.15 ; 3,045 meals and 88 
lodgings had been sold, and 4,348 meals and 1,190 lodgings given away. 
A general relief work was carried on in connection with it, and this was 
continued for some years thereafter by the con mittee, which operated 
much of the time under the name of the Buffalo Relief Society. 

During the winter of 1874, a plan was matured for establishing a per- 
manent restaurant and lodging house for working men ; it was presented 
to the public through the press, with an appeal for help in securing the 
$800 necessary to pay the rent. The premises at No. 3 Pearl Street were 
rented, and the Friendly Inn was opened on Friday evening, May 22, 1874. 
A copy of the advertising circular issued has been preserved, and seems 
worth reproducing : 

"THE FRIENDLY INN, 

No. 3 Pearl St., 

(Near the bridge) Buffalo, N. Y. 

The place to find 

A good meal, 

A clean bed, 

A bath room. 
A free reading room, 

A place to write letters, 

A chance to get employment. 

Shippers, boat captains, and all others desiring male help will find it 
advantageous to call at the Friendly Inn, as it is intended to make it the 
rendezvous of sober, steady men. No charges for securing hands." 

55 



There followed a bill of fare with prices and list of temperance drinks 
on sale. The Friendly Inn was intended to be self-sustaining, most of 
the patrons paying for what they used. Tickets for meals and lodgings 
were sold to citizens to be given to applicants, very much in the manner 
which has since become familiar. A really great work was carried on in 
this inn ; thousands of men were sheltered, fed, and entertained in clean 
and moral surroundings ; hundreds were shown the possibility of better 
things and many found new hope and a new life within its walls. At first 
nearly self-sustaining, it seems afterwards to have been found increasingly 
difficult to meet expenses, until finally, in the face of a steadily growing 
deficiency, the association, on April 16, 1878, paid up its indebtedness 
and ordered the doors closed. 

One of the first things which Mr. Jenkins did for the association was 
the establishment of Our Young Men's Paper, of which he continued 
to be the editor until the close of his connection with the association. 
The first issue appeared October 1, 1870, and it was at first a weekly, 
enjoying the distinction, if Mr. Jenkins was right in his contention, of 
being the first association weekly in the country. It was later, however, 
changed into a monthly, and so continued until the end. The paper was 
largely given up to general religious reading for young men, but con- 
tained always, at least, a little association news. It attained a very large 
circulation, part of which was undoubtedly a matter of free distribution. 

The employment bureau early in the seventies was placed upon 
a very excellent basis and the work done thoroughly and systematically ; 
it was a very appropriate work, distinctively for young men, and the 
results were really remarkable. 

In April, 1876, an effort was made to establish a work peculiarly for 
railroad men, which eventually resulted in the founding of the first rail- 
road branch ; this story will be told more fully hereafter and is mentioned 
here only because the credit belongs to the men of this period and it 
should here be added to the sum of their achievements. Another effort 
at expansion was less successful ; a branch was established at Black Rock, 
showed some signs of useful life, and then languished and died. 

The most notable feature of this entire period, and the one about 
which more than any other centered the thought, hopes, and ambitions of 
the members, was the building fund. The history of the building idea in 
the Buffalo Association is an interesting one and will be given with some 
detail. On the day that Mr. Pascal P. Pratt became president, March 2, 
1857, it was resolved that the Board take immediate measures to secure a 

56 



building fund of $2o,oco and a library fund of $10,000 ; a few days later 
the matter of raising the building fund was referred to the Finance Com- 
mittee, which was composed of these men : Jason Sexton, William M. 
Gray, George Howard, George S. Hazard, Andrew J. Rich, Francis H. 
Root, and S. S. Guthrie. On May 4th following, a special committee, 
consisting of Sherman S. Rogers, N. A. Halbert, and Dennis Bowen, was 
appointed to examine the charter and ascertain whether the organization 
had power to make investments. 

These committees never reported. The reason is not far to seek ; 
the year 1857 was one of business panic and financial ruin, and there fol- 
lowed the years when the association was fighting for its very life. 

On October 27, 1868, immediately after the accession of young blood, 
to which reference has so often been made, a committee was appointed 
to investigate the feasibility of raising by stock subscription, in shares of 
$10 each, an amount sufficient to secure property suitable for a perma- 
nent home. On November 23d, a sub-committee reported seven available 
locations, ranging in price from fifteen to sixty thousand dollars ; but on 
February 18, 1869, at the annual meeting, the retiring President was 
obliged to announce that " The movement for the purchase of a building 
has not resulted in accomplishing that most desirable object." 

Another effort was made in 1870, and another committee appointed. 
This committee prepared a plan, which was submitted, discussed, and 
finally dropped for some reason which does not appear. Six months 
later the same clergyman, who nineteen years before had come to the 
rescue of the handful of young men struggling to bring together 
a number large enough to begin the work, again lifted his voice 
for the association, and with his wonderfully persuasive eloquence, fol- 
lowed by practical obedience to his own appeal, breathed the first 
breath of real life into the building fund project. On June 25, 187 1, a 
public meeting in the interests of the association was held in Lafayette 
Street Church, and the Rev. Dr. Heacock delivered a very strong and 
earnest address, at the close of which the first subscription was made ; it 
was not known then, but became known afterwards, that Dr. Heacock 
himself made this subscription. Others followed, and at the annual 
meeting of 1872, President E. L. Hedstrom reported $359 in the bank 
and additional pledges amounting to $ 6,000. One year later the amount 
in bank had grown only to $455.06, and we have no report concerning 
new pledges ; then came to the city dark days financially ; they were 
hard days for the association. Too much credit cannot be given to Mr. 

57 





F. M. Hayes, M. D. 

Central Department. 



T. Speyser, 
German Department 



M. D. Mann, M. D., 
Student Department. 





F. E. Sickels, 
Army Department. 



A. E. Hedstrom, 
B., R. & P. Department. 




C. H. Seymour, 
Union Terminal Department. 



E. A. Benson, 
East Buffalo Department. 



John Howard, 
Depew Department. 



CHAIRMEN OF THE DEPARTMENTS, JUBILEE YEAR. 



Hedstrom and his helpers for the heroic courage and supreme grit with 
which they clung to their task, and, in spite of financial depression and 
obstacles of every sort, raised the total amount of subscriptions to $31,000, 
as announced in the public press. 

In October, 1874, came an event which greatly cheered the hearts of 
the Building Committee and seemed to bring the new building almost 
within their grasp. This was "The Authors' Carnival," which was 
originally suggested by Mr. Jenkins and which owed much of its success 
to his wise counsel and helpfulness. The project was taken up enthusi- 
astically by the entire association, was publicly commended by the clergy, 
cordially supported by the public press, and managed and directed by 
the ladies of the churches of all denominations. Briefly stated, the idea 
was the presentation of living pictures of characters, taken from the 
books of celebrated authors, clothed in the costumes, doing the things 
and surrounded by the environment, as their creators had described 
them ; these pictures made the various booths, in which were not lacking 
the usual means for turning an honest penny ; there were, besides, 
special entertainments for each evening and various other attractive 
features. The Carnival was a grand success, artistically, socially, and 
financially ; it netted the building fund the sum of $5,871. The officers 
of the women's organization, to whose faithful efforts this success was 
largely due, were as follows : President, Mrs. Jerome F. Fargo ; Vice- 
Presidents, Mrs. F. H. Root, Mrs. E. G. Spaulding, Mrs. George Howard, 
Mrs. M. P. Bush, Mrs. S. S. Jewett, Mrs. S. G. Haven, Mrs. S. V. R. Wat- 
son, Mrs. Jason Parker ; Secretary, Miss Mary Burtiss ; Treasurer, Mrs. 
S. W. Warren. 

After this, progress was slow until 1878, when the land covered by the 
present building, which was then called the Mohawk Street Police Station 
property, was bought ; the price was $12,000, upon which $10,000 was 
paid down, but it was more than a year before the balance was collected 
and paid. After this, the building fund crept slowly upward, by force of 
hard and persistent effort, with many setbacks and times of discouragement, 
until, when the building was completed and dedicated, it aggregated 
$94,301.24 ; the association had borrowed $2,100 to clean up all indebt- 
edness, and not until this debt had been met, in 1888, did the committee 
finally report and ask to be discharged ; the total subscriptions then 
aggregated $96,545.16, which represents the precise cost of the property. 

So far as we know, the first ambitious effort to plan a building was 
made in 1872, when two architects submitted designs, wood cuts of which 

59 



were published in the daily papers and in Our Young Men's Paper. The 
elevations show very handsome and stately structures and the accompany- 
ing prospectus indicates that they were fairly well planned for a modern 
work. After the purchase of the Mohawk Street property many futile 
efforts were made to buy the rest of the triangle, but finally the associa- 
tion decided to build on the lot already owned. Mr. William Perkins, an 
ofTlcer of the association, prepared a study for a building, which was 
accepted by the Board on January 7, 1882, as the basis for architects' 
plans. On March 4th, competitive elevations were submitted by architects 
and, on March 23d, those submitted by Porter & Percival were selected by 
ballot and accepted. On June 8, 1882, the contracts for the building 
were awarded. 

The laying of the corner stone took place on September 7th of the 
same year. The devotional exercises on this occasion were in charge of 
the Reverends William Hughes, E. E. Chivers, Dr. George H. Ball, and 
Dr. W. S. Studley ; addresses were delivered by His Honor, Mayor 
Grover Cleveland, Mr. C. B. Armstrong, and the Rev. Dr. W. S. Hubbell ; 
a statement of the building fund was made by Mr. R. B. Adam ; the 
first President, Rev. Isaac C. Tryon, read a statement of the contents of 
the corner stone, and the then President, Mr. N. G. Benedict, declared the 
stone well and duly laid. 

The dedicatory service was held in the new Association Hall on Mon- 
day evening, January 28, 1884. It was a very notable occasion and one 
of great solemnity. The audience was large and peculiarly representa- 
tive and the addresses of great power and interest. Rev. Dr. John 
Gordon, State Secretary George A. Hall, and Rev. J. B. Kneist took part 
in the devotional service ; Rt. Rev. A. Cleveland Coxe, Bishop of West- 
ern New York, conducted the dedicatory office ; Mr. W. H. Gratwick, 
Mr. Cephas Brainerd of New York, and President N. G. Benedict delivered 
addresses ; Mr. O. P. Letchworth presented the report of the Furnishing 
Committee ; Mr. R. B. Adam read the report of the Building Committee 
and presented the building to the Board of Trustees, and Mr. P. P. Pratt, 
President of that Board, accepted the same and presented it for the use 
of the association. 

Thus was finally crowned with success a long struggle, which began 
in 1868 and lasted sixteen years. It was very truly said by Mr. Benedict 
that it is only to those who believe in God and are engaged in His work 
that is given the persistence, the energy, the steadfast faith, which makes 
such struggles and such victories possible. 

60 



It is not a gracious thing to single out from among so many faithful 
workers any one or two and give them special honor, but the story of this 
struggle for a new building would be very incompletely told if we did not 
recognize the fact that to two men, more than to any others, the present 
building owes its existence. From 187 1 to 1879, inclusive, Mr. E. L. 
Hedstrom was Chairman of the Building Committee and led the battle 
through the discouraging days of the seventies ; from 1880 until the end, 
Mr. R. B. Adam was Chairman and led in the final victory ; of the rare 
and unselfish leadership and the untiring and consecrated persistence of 
these men too much cannot be said in commendation. The following 
gentlemen served under Mr. Adam from 1880 until the end : E. L. Hed- 
strom, P. P. Pratt, J. C. Greene, W. H. Gratwick, Thomas Chester, W. W. 
Brown, and Nelson Holland. The following served one or more years : 
F. W. Taylor, S. S. Rogers, Edward Holmes, F. H. Root, O. P. Letch- 
worth, George Howard, C. B. Armstrong, William Perkins. 

There remains only to chronicle the fact that on March 10, 1883, an 
act was passed by the Legislature of the State of New York which revised 
and amended the articles of incorporation of the association. The prin- 
cipal change was the creation of a Board of Trustees to hold and manage 
the real property and the endowment funds of the association. The fol- 
lowing gentlemen were named in the statute : Pascal P. Pratt, William 
H. Gratwick, Francis H. Root, Eric L. Hedstrom, George Howard, Seth 
L. Mason, William H. Walker, Frederick W. Taylor, and the President 
of the association, ex-officio. Mr. Pratt was at once elected President 
and has continued in that office until this dav. 



(31 





Gymnasium — Central. 



Lunch Room — B., R. & P. 





Soldiers' Night School — Army. 



Ward in Hospital — East Buffalo. 





Library — Depew. 



One of the Forty Bed Rooms — Union Terminal. 



THE WORK ILLUSTRATED. 



Chapter V. 

PERIOD OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT. 

FROM this time the history of the association becomes more familiar 
and, in a sense, more commonplace ; it is a story of active, stren- 
uous life, of steady and persistent growth along lines well defined, 
but always widening. In any life story, it is the period of storm and 
struggle that furnishes the multitude of incident out of which absorbing 
history is made ; the time of prosperous peace, of yearly sowing and 
reaping, of everyday planning and doing, places the crown of reward 
upon the years of struggle and trial, brings the harvests in ever increas- 
ing measure, and accumulates the store of strength and resource which 
makes for greatness ; but yet the story is best told in tables of statistics, 
which, while they may be valuable, do not afford interesting reading. 

After a lusty infancy under wise and consecrated leadership, which 
secured for it at once a high place in the community, a troublous boy- 
hood of experiment, which taught it, in the hard school of experience, 
many necessary lessons, and a rising young manhood of determined 
struggle to reach the realization of slowly-forming ideals, a struggle 
which stiffened its character and hardened its muscles, the association 
entered fully into the heritage of its first maturity when it opened the 
doors of its splendid building on Mohawk Street. The story of its life 
since that time is largely a recital of how it has grown in numbers and 
usefulness ; widened, deepened, and bettered the channels of its work ; 
added new methods, dropped old ones, modified, improved, and extended 
others, as changing exigencies and new wisdom, learned of experience, 
have required ; it is a story of detail into which we cannot go very deeply. 

One phase of association development during this period, however, 
has all the charm and interest which attaches to beginnings and first 
adjustments to new problems ; we mean the extension of the association 
to meet the needs and desires of different classes and conditions of men, 

63 



which has resulted in the founding of branches, or, as they are called in 
Buffalo, departments. 

As we have already seen, the first permanent result of this policy of 
expansion was attained during the last period in the founding of the 
Exchange Street Railroad Branch. From that time down to the present 
the life of the association has run in two or more channels, distinct from 
each other and yet related, as in a river which has several channels and 
yet remains one river. But our story has thus far had relation to the 
stream near its source, when it had but one channel ; and for the sake of 
continuity of interest we will follow, in this chapter, the original channel 
down to the present, and consider what remains of the stream in the next 
chapter. 

The building which the association dedicated in 1884, judged by the 
association standards of the day, was a very complete and perfect one ; 
a veteran association secretary, from a city larger than ours, said in Buf- 
falo the other day, " When you put up that building eighteen years ago, 
I saw it and said to myself, with longing and, I fear, covetousness, ' Oh, if 
my city could ever have a building like that,' but my common sense told 
me it never could." At the outset the basement was used for gymna- 
sium, locker room, baths, bowling alleys, and barber shop ; the ground 
floor was entirely given up to stores, and the second floor to the principal 
association rooms, office, reading room, parlors, correspondence room, 
and lecture room ; the hall occupied part of the third and fourth floors, 
and the balance of these floors was divided between studios and offices 
for rent and rooms for various uses of the association ; the fifth floor 
contained the janitor's quarters and not much besides. As the work has 
grown greater and developed new phases, there has been constant shift- 
ing and readjustment, until to-day not a single room in any portion of the 
building is devoted to its original purpose, except that the ground floor is 
still given over to stores and offices. All of these changes have been 
made under the personal supervision of the Rooms Committee, of which 
Mr. S. S. Kingsley has been chairman for twenty years. 

The work of the association had been well started along modern 
lines before the building was occupied ; many old lines had been aban- 
doned, many old endeavors lopped off. This had not been done without 
opposition. Very naturally it was hard for men who had for years put 
the best of their heart and effort into the doing of some good work to 
abandon and discontinue this work in the face of a different theory of 
association method ; but this different theory, in its reasonableness and 

64 



logical consistency, appealed to the judgment of all, and, moreover, it 
had been long in the minds of the association workers, waiting only for 
the plant and the income to make it possible. And so, little by little, the 
old methods were slipped off and the new ones taken on, while yet the 
association was in its rented quarters. 

At the annual meeting of 1885, Mr. Squire compared the first full 
year in the new building with the year ending at the annual meeting of 
1881, which year he considered fairly representative of the life in the old 
quarters before it began to be affected in either way by the certainty of 
the new building; the comparison showed a gain of 1323^ per cent, in 
membership, being 79 per cent, in active membership and 296 per cent, in 
associate membership. Other comparisons showed the following percent- 
ages of gain : in committee men, 30 ; attendance at rooms, 120 ; attend- 
ance in reading room, 90 ; attendance at entertainments, 139 ; attend- 
ance at gymnasium, 130 ; attendance of men at Sunday afternoon 
meeting, 48 ; bible class enrollment, 200. These figures are interesting, 
because they indicate the gain in usefulness and attractiveness resulting 
almost solely from the occupancy of larger, better, more permanent 
quarters. 

From this time the work has advanced steadily in all departments. In 
the physical department the advance has been most marked ; not only has 
the number using the privileges been many times multiplied, but the 
character and scope of the work has been constantly bettered and placed 
upon a more thoroughly scientific basis. The gymnasium has become a 
place not merely for sport and exercise, but for body-building by means 
scientifically worked out and applied ; a place not for making professional 
athletes but for making the all-round physical man, with that strong, 
healthy body which is fit to be the home of the sound mind and upright 
spirit. The system begins with a thorough physical examination by trained 
experts ; exercises are regulated to fit the man, and the whole work is 
carefully and efficiently supervised from start to finish. All of this more- 
over, has been, and is to-day, done in a pure, clean, moral atmosphere ; a 
quiet but persistent effort is made to keep the whole work upon the high- 
est plane, where body-culture is remembered to be the making strong and 
beautiful of the temple of the mind and soul. 

All this has not been done in a day ; the system has grown slowly 
through the years and is still, to-day, growing steadily more thorough and 
more perfect. The physical work was handicapped even from the first 
by the lack of adequate provision for its accommodation. The associa- 

65 





Bible Class Tea — Central. 



Educational Class — Central. 





Boys' Class — German. 



Boys' Rooms — Central. 





Buffalo Boys' Camp — Chautauqua Lake. 
THE WORK ILLUSTRATED. 



tion had not been in the new building a year before it was realized that a 
mistake had been made. Mistakes sometimes involve a fault somewhere, 
but it was not so in this case. When the building was planned, the phys- 
ical work of the association everywhere was in its infancy, and it would 
have taken the vision of a seer to have appreciated the marvelous devel- 
opment of the next few years ; the building was planned about three 
years too soon. Improvements were from time to time made, or attempted, 
in the baths, the locker or floor arrangements, and the ventilation ; but 
the association never had a gymnasium at all adequate until after the fire 
in 1894, when the hall was turned into a gymnasium, a running track put 
in, the locker rooms brought up to the third floor, new marble baths built, 
and the whole fitted out into as perfect a department for physical work as 
circumstances permitted. The result was, on the whole, very satisfactory 
and has made present conditions possible. Growth, however, did not 
stop with this ; the gymnasium since then has absorbed room after room 
for locker or exercise purposes, and an excellent plunge with a number of 
additional showers was constructed in the basement during the year 1898. 
During all this period the gymnasium has been in charge of competent 
instructors, and it must be noted that the standards of competency have 
been steadily raised from year to year. A very large degree of credit 
for the present efficiency of this department must be given to Mr. J. Y. 
Cameron, who has been for several years physical director. The num- 
ber of members who used the gymnasium in 1884 was 369 ; in 1902 it 
was 1,442. 

In 1890 another departure in physical work was tried, and with success. 
With the coming of warm weather an indoor gymnasium loses its attrac- 
tion and men naturally long for fresh air and out-of-door exercise. This 
presented an opportunity which the association could not wholly neglect. 
A large field for an Outing Park was rented on Delavan Avenue, near 
Elmwood Avenue ; the young men themselves raised $1,500, to which the 
Board added $400 ; a club house, with broad fireplace, lockers, baths, and 
long, broad verandas, was built, and the field was fenced and laid out for 
athletic sports. Two years later an adjoining field, which had been used 
by the Pastime Ball Club, was added ; after this a quarter-mile track of 
clay and cinders was built, an excellent ball field, and ten thoroughly 
good clay tennis courts were provided ; and with provision for all manner 
of track athletics, a grand stand, and two club houses, the Outing Park 
became one of the finest fields for athletic sports in the country. This 
park continued in very popular use until 1896, at which time it had to be 

67 



abandoned because the ground lease could not be further renewed. The 
park had been from the first a Board enterprise, in charge of a committee 
appointed by that body, and open in every respect to the use of all 
departments. The large field adjoining the East Buffalo building had 
already been somewhat developed and used for outdoor sports, and so 
when the Delavan Avenue Park had to be surrendered, the Board took up 
the East Buffalo grounds, helped to develop them, and the Outing Park 
work was transferred to that point. It has been carried on there ever 
since, under the immediate charge of the East Buffalo Department, with 
marked success. 

The development of the intellectual work of the association has been 
equally remarkable ; not alone in respect to the number of young men 
reached, but even more in the matter of scientific methods and the excel- 
lence and variety of instruction and results. 

The beginnings of the educational classes are found in the last 
period; in the winter of 1880, the old " Committee on Intellectual Im- 
provement " was revived and Mr. Charles B. Wheeler made Chairman ; 
this committee formed the first evening classes, in German, bookkeeping, 
and music. Upon this foundation, with slow and steady progress, has 
been built a system of educational classes, conducted with all the care, 
intelligence, and scientific study of methods and appliances which char- 
acterize educational institutions of the best class. The system has 
brought the opportunity for mental improvement and acquisition to thou- 
sands of young men whose days are necessarily given to work, and who 
would otherwise have been compelled to run the race of life without the 
mental training they so much coveted. 

In the new building special class-rooms were set aside, and the num- 
ber and equipment of these has been constantly increased since then ; 
like the physical department, the evening classes have been constantly 
reaching out and absorbing more space until there is nothing left to 
absorb. A system of examinations has been established in accordance 
with a plan issued by the International Committee and adopted by most 
of the leading associations of the country ; this international system 
practically makes Buffalo a part of a great educational institution having 
over 30,000 students on its rolls, and whose certificates are generally 
recognized at their face value. 

The jubilee year report shows classes in the following subjects : 
Algebra, two classes ; Architectural Drawing, two classes ; Arithmetic, 
three classes ; Bookkeeping, two classes ; Business Law ; Chemistry ; Civil 

68 



Service; Electricity, two classes; Elocution; English Grammar, two 
classes ; Latin, two classes ; Machine Design ; Mechanical Drawing, two 
classes ; Orchestral Music ; Physics ; Reading and Spelling ; Rhetoric ; 
Spanish, two classes ; Stenography and Typewriting, three classes ; Writ- 
ing, two classes. 

These classes have held 1,259 sessions, have been attended by 334 
young men, and have been in charge of thirteen trained instructors. 

Besides these classes there have been, from time to time during this 
period, educational lectures of many kinds, university extension courses, 
lyceums, debating clubs, clubs for study of social economics and other 
special topics, the Equality Club for dining and listening to noted speak- 
ers from abroad upon current topics, and so many other things to train 
and inform the minds of young men that it is not wise to attempt even an 
enumeration. 

The reading room has been kept up, of course, and supplied with 
everything worth while in current periodic literature and with such dailies 
as are needed. It was visited 59.955 times last year. 

The library was opened in 1852, and Mr. John U. Wayland drew the 
first book ; we have seen something of its growth since and noted that 
there were 4,056 volumes in 1884 ; the increase since then has not been 
so great as was hoped, but there are now 6,652 well selected volumes ; 
968 members drew out it, 118 volumes last year. The library still awaits 
the endowment so ardently longed for in 1852. 

During the later and best period of this modern development in the 
intellectual work of the association, it has been in charge of Mr. W. F. 
Hirsch, who has given to it very intelligent and efficient supervision. 

The social life of the association has kept pace with the growth else- 
where ; aside from open doors and a warm welcome every day and every 
week-day evening, there have been many entertainments, special evenings 
and receptions, which have drawn hundreds and thousands to the build- 
ing ; a summer garden has been conducted during the season with occa- 
sional entertainments ; and a great variety of means have been used to 
make the building an attractive home for young men. This should be 
added also, that there has been a growing tendency during the past few 
years to add the social element, in a very proper way, to all other branches 
of work ; the physical and educational departments have suppers and 
receptions ; the bible classes have teas ; the Equality Club has added a 
very fine social quality ; and the annual meetings of the association are 
made less formal and more social. There is no social life in America 

69 




B S 



u - 



more healthfully democratic, in the best sense of the word, than that of 
the association, and we believe this development under wise leadership is 
full of nothing but advantage and great good. 

The religious work has also greatly developed in many and varied 
ways. Before occupying the present building, the Sunday afternoon meet- 
ing was open to women as well as men ; upon entering its new home this 
was changed, and since then all the religious work of the association has 
been designed to reach men only, with one exception, which did not bring 
very satisfactory results. The Sunday afternoon Gospel meetings are still 
continued and are usually evangelistic in their character ; during the last 
few years the lack of an attractive hall has interfered with the largest 
success of these meetings. Prayer meetings have been held at hours and 
following methods differing from time to time, and there have been large 
results from these manifold efforts. 

The most remarkable development has been in bible study ; and here 
again it is not merely a matter of numbers and size, but, what is of at 
least equal importance, there has been a wonderful improvement in meth- 
ods and in orderly and intelligent system. We doubt if there can be 
found, outside of professional schools, a more thorough, complete, and 
logical system of bible study than the association has developed during 
the last few years. All the bible classes were in 1898 united into a Bible 
Study Department. A majority of the classes meet together Thursday 
evening for supper, for which each man pays his share, and then separate 
to the various classes for an hour's study ; this arrangement gives them 
the evening for other uses, which is a very desirable thing in these busy 
days. Last year seventeen bible classes were maintained. A total of 428 
sessions were held and were attended by 313 different young men and 
boys. 

These things are of value beyond the possibility of measurement ; 
but, after all, we cannot help thinking that the best religious work the 
association does is in that unconscious atmosphering of every young man 
who enters its doors with the spirit of Christ ; many a young man will 
repel the open invitation ; he cannot refuse to breathe the atmosphere in 
which he moves. 

Another remarkable development of this period is the boys' work. 
The child is father of the man ; the fresher from God's hand, the more 
plastic the material ; character is often fixed for good or bad before the 
age of sixteen is reached ; to save the man, we should aim at the young 
man ; to save the young man, we must in many cases aim at the boy. 

71 



The association realized this, and in 1880, again back in the previous 
period, it tried to bring a few boys into a bible-study class ; in 1881, there 
were two such classes and Miss Ellen Brown taught one of them ; there 
were thirty-five boys in these classes and they continued for three months. 
The enterprise kept growing and special rooms were provided, with Miss 
Brown in charge, in the new building ; and still it kept growing, and in 
1886 the Junior Department, or Division, was formally established and 
soon had a membership of 336. In 1887, the present rooms on the fourth 
floor were fitted up. We will not attempt to give the details of the junior 
work, for it is largely a reproduction of the senior work ; in most respects 
it is simply another association, with all its varied activities modified to 
meet the requirements of boys. From the start, the work has been in 
charge of Miss Brown — into it she has thrown her whole heart and life ; 
her influence over boys has been very remarkable ; they love her and she 
has brought hundreds of them to the Master. Our Junior Division has 
always been reckoned as one of the best and most progressive in the 
country. 

The roll of the association shows in 1883, the year before the present 
building was occupied, a membership of 935 ; this was increased to 1,183 
in 1884. In 1885, it was 1,291 ; in 1886, 1,329 ; and in 1887, 1,639. T ne 
remarkable growth of this year stimulated great interest in the member- 
ship and filled everyone with tremendous ambition to reach the 2,000 
mark ; the following year all sorts of stimulants and spurs were applied ; 
two individuals, known only as " Peace " and " Enterprise," began a bom- 
bardment through circulars and articles in the association paper, The 
Bulletin j one, or both of them, paid half the fees of those who would 
apply for membership between certain dates, and in these and other ways 
excitement was stirred up and made to run at a high pitch. The result 
was a membership of 1,918 at the annual meeting of 1888. 

During these years a committee had been laboriously engaged turning 
out a new constitution, which should very materially change the organiza- 
tion of the association and place it upon a metropolitan basis. The 
members of this committee were treading almost unknown ground and 
had little to guide them except their own experience and judgment. 
This constitution was ready in 1888, but an act of the legislature was 
required before it could be adopted. This act was passed by the legis- 
lature of that year ; but was unexpectedly vetoed by Gov. Hill as being 
special legislation. Nevertheless, in anticipation of the proposed change, 
the annual report of 1888 gave the report of the work in the Mohawk Street 

72 



building under the heading " Central Department," and this was repeated 
in 1889 ; but it was not until after the annual meeting of that year that 
the " Central Department " was formally and organically created. The 
legislature of 1889 passed our act in slightly modified form, and the Gov- 
ernor signed it. The new constitution was adopted June 3, 1890, and 
from that time our metropolitan organization dates. More will be said 
in the next chapter concerning this organization. The Central Depart- 
ment began the year 1889-90 under charge, for the first time, of a " Com- 
mittee of Management," composed of the following men : Frank E. 
Sickels, Chairman ; R. B. Adam, Jr., H. D. Blakeslee, Joseph E. Ball, N. 
G. Benedict, F. A. Board, C. H. Baer, Chas. A. Barker, Jno. A. Jones, 
Walter H. Johnson, S. S. Kingsley, Thomas Penney, L. B. Perry, 
George H. Sickels, Jr., W. G. Staniland, C. M. Underhill, C. Townsend 
Wilson. 

The year 1889 showed that the great increase of the previous year 
was not an entirely healthy growth. Many of the members then brought 
in came, evidently, because they got something at half price and did not 
renew at the whole price. The total number of members dropped to 
1,675, a l° ss °f 2 43- Next year it dropped again to 1,562. At this time, 
in 1890, the rates of membership, which had for years been $2.00 for ordi- 
nary membership with special fees for use of gymnasium, classes, etc., 
and $10.00 for sustaining membership, were changed to the following : 
limited, $2.00 ; full, including gymnasium, $5.00 ; and sustaining, includ- 
ing everything, $10.00. This change and other causes again stimulated 
the membership roll and this time with a more healthy growth ; the total 
in 1891 was 1,688, and in 1892, 2,023. 

In 1891, Mr. E. A. Putnam was employed as Membership Secretary ; 
he has shown great aptitude for the peculiar work of this position, and 
Buffalo has had a larger percentage of membership renewals than any 
other association. 

On September 1, 1891, Mr. John B. Squire, who had been for ten 
years General Secretary, severed his official connection with the association. 
It was a very great sorrow to all friends of the association, and seemed 
almost an irreparable loss, for Mr. Squire had entered so into the warp 
and woof of the life of the association that it seemed impossible that he 
could withdraw without injury to the whole fabric ; but Mr. Squire had 
before him what seemed to be a very favorable business opening, which 
he felt he ought to accept, and the Board could do nothing but wish him 
Godspeed in his new occupation. 

73 




German Department Building. 
Genesee and Davis streets. 



Mr. Henry D. Dickson had been educated in association work as Mr. 
Squire's assistant, and was thoroughly familiar with Buffalo's needs and 
possibilities ; he was at the Springfield Training School finishing his 
preparation for secretarial work, when Mr. Squire's purpose to resign was 
first made known to the Board, and the matter of the post about to be 
vacated was at once taken up with him. As a result, Mr. Dickson took up 
the work of Secretary immediately upon Mr. Squire's laying it down, and 
results more than justified the choice of the Board. 

The membership continued to increase and in 1893 it numbered 2,125. 
During the night of January 12, 1894, a fire started in a dumbwaiter 
shaft in the building, from some cause which has never been fully under- 
stood ; it spread rapidly to all parts of the building and, although the 
structure was saved from total destruction, it was badly damaged from 
top to bottom. 

The association opened up the following mo'rning in stores at Nos. 64 
and 68 West Genesee Street, where it remained for nearly four months. 
The stores were used for offices, reading room, reception room, and class 
rooms ; other classes and various religious services were held in the Cen- 
tral Presbyterian and the People's Congregational churches. A commit- 
tee, consisting of S. S. Kingsley, John B. Squire, and Frank E. Sickels, 
was at once appointed, which, in consultation with Mr. Percival, the orig- 
inal architect, at once prepared plans and proceeded to crowd the work of 
remodeling and repairing. The result was a very much more serviceable 
and up-to-date building, with better arrangements in nearly every way, 
except that Association Hall had been lost. About $13,000 insurance 
money was collected and the repairs cost about $19,000, the difference 
being met by subscriptions. 

At the annual meeting of that year, the membership, entirely owing 
to the loss entailed by the fire, had dropped to 1,683. It began to in- 
crease again, however, and one year later it was 1,849 I m 1 &96, it was 
2,025 ; and since then it has maintained a slow increase until, at the 
close of the jubilee year, it has reached the highest point ever attained, 
2,422. 

In 1898, Mr. Dickson received a call to the secretaryship of the 23d 
Street branch of the New York City Association ; this meant for him in 
many ways a promotion and opened to him, he thought, opportunities for 
greater usefulness and service. His resignation was, therefore, handed 
in and, on February 1, 1898, was accepted by the Board. As happened 
in the case of Mr. Squire, so here the necessity for this action was deeply 

75 



regretted by the Board and by the entire association, for Mr. Dickson 
was very popular and his work had been exceedingly successful. 

The question of a successor was at once taken up and Mr. Frank S. 
Goodman, State Secretary, was called in consultation. A great desire on 
the part of the Board was developed to secure the services of Mr. A. H. 
Whitford, at that time General Secretary at Rochester ; it was found that 
Mr. Whitford certainly would not come as Department Secretary, but 
might be persuaded to come as General Secretary of the entire associa- 
tion. This, therefore, opened up the question of completing the equip- 
ment of the metropolitan organization by the employment of such an 
officer ; it was determined to do so, and Mr. Whitford was called and 
accepted. He began his service in April i, 1898, and to him is due, in 
large measure, the successful development of the work throughout the 
city which has taken place since that date. At the outset it was deemed 
wise to furnish him with a strong body of assistants and place him also 
in immediate charge of the Central Department, as Department Secretary. 

A word, at least, should be said concerning the association paper, 
which took the place of Mr. Jenkins' Our Young Mens Paper, after an 
interval of a few years. The Y. M. C. A. Bulletin was started by Mr. 
Squire in 1882 as a monthly, the first number being dated January in that 
year. February, 1887, the title was changed to The Bulletin, and 
under that name it is still published. It has been, and is, the organ of 
the entire association, circulated among members without charge, and is 
the regular means of announcing and chronicling association news and 
communicating from office to member. It is now published under direc- 
tion of the Board, and has been edited and managed for many years 
by Mr. F. H. Thatcher of the Union Terminal Railroad Department. 

Throughout this entire period of the association's history, its finances 
have been skillfully managed and kept in a very healthy condition. It 
has been the purpose of the Board during this period to close the year 
entirely free from floating indebtedness, and this has been done except 
at times when unusual circumstances have made it seem wise to carry a 
part of the annual deficit at the banks for a few months, but never has 
the aggregate of more than one year's deficiency been carried. The wise 
business management which has characterized the association has been 
possible because its financial affairs have been in the hands of business 
men who have given to the association the same skill, energy, and wisdom 
which have won success in business life. The Director oldest in continu- 
ous service upon the present Board is Mr. J. J. McWilliams, who is 

76 



Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Board of Trustees and of the build- 
ing fund ; he has been for years very closely associated with the financial 
side of the association's affairs, both as treasurer and as chairman, or 
member, of the Finance and Advisory Committees, and the association 
owes very much of its financial soundness and perfection of business 
methods to his guidance and devotion to its work. 

We closed the story of the fourth period of association life by an 
account of the long struggle which found its reward in the Mohawk 
Street building. We can now close the story of the fifth period with an 
account of the effort which is finding its reward in seeing the walls of 
another building rise within a stone's throw of the present one. 

The men of the last period built for the future, but they did not know 
how great was to be that future, either in city or association. For years 
the inadequacy of the present building has been felt ; further develop- 
ment along certain lines has been peremptorily stopped by the physical 
barrier of brick walls. In 1900 this condition had reached a point 
where it must be removed, or the association must go backward. A 
building designed for a membership of 1,500 was doing service for 
one of 2,300 ; a gymnasium designed for a membership of 800 was being 
used by 1,500 ; the educational classes were cramped and but illy accom- 
modated ; the boys' work could not grow, because there was no room ; 
the entire building was a teeming hive of life and activity. Every room 
was used and everybody was crying for more. Further growth was im- 
possible, and there is no such thing as standing still in such an organiza- 
tion ; it must go forward or it will, of necessity, go backward. And so a 
joint meeting of Trustees, Directors, and members of the Committee of 
Management was called, and held on January 30, 1900. As a result, a 
preliminary committee was appointed to investigate and report ; this com- 
mittee reported that a new building was a necessity, and, finally, at a 
meeting held March 16, 1900, it was determined to undertake the raising 
of $175,000 before January 1, 1901. Two committees were appointed, 
one consisting of R. B. Adam, J. J. McWilliams, W. A. Rogers, G. R. How- 
ard, and J. W. Robinson, to raise $100,000 in large amounts ; and another, 
consisting of W. A. Joyce, F. E. Sickels, F. A. Board, S. N. McWilliams, and 
A. H. Whitford, to raise $75,000 in smaller amounts. The annual dinner 
that year was held at the Ellicott Club and was very largely attended. 
The building enterprise was there fully explained and the foundation laid 
for the canvass which followed. Both committees went to work vigor- 
ously and, as a result, it was announced, on January 1, 1901, that the 

77 




Q -a 
c 

i >> 

O c3 

< "3 

as g 

o » 



objective point had been reached and $175,000 raised. Subscriptions 
had been made by 1,600 different persons. A Building Committee was at 
once appointed, composed of the following men : P. P. Pratt, R. B. 
Adam, J. J. McWilliams, Wm. A. Rogers, S. M. Clement, W. H. Walker, 

R. R. Hefford, J. W. Robinson, F. E. Sickels, F. A. Board, Wm. A. Joyce, 
S. N. McWilliams, and A. H. Whitford. This committee organized by 
selecting Mr. Pratt as Chairman, Mr. Adam as Vice-Chairman, Mr. J. J. 
McWilliams as Treasurer, and Mr. Whitford as Secretary. Mr. Pratt, 
whose health and advanced age rendered active service impossible, soon 
resigned the chairmanship, and Mr. Adam was elected in his place. It 
will, therefore, be noted with interest that the man who led the struggle 
for the first building to a successful issue is again leading this new 
movement to even greater success. 

The question of site was at once taken up and propositions were in- 
vited. On April 13, 1901, the committee chose the property offered by 
the estate of the late Philip Becker at the junction of Pearl. Genesee, 
and Franklin streets, and, on September 2, 1901, a contract was signed 
for the purchase of this property for the sum of $100,000, the association 
to complete the purchase not later than October 20, 1901. 

The lot having been selected, the next question was that of plans 
and architects. Ten local architects, including all members of the 
association who had expressed a desire to compete, were invited to sub- 
mit competitive designs; the committee agreeing to pay $100 to each 
competitor whose designs met the requirements, and the first prize to be 
$1,000, to be applied upon fees in case the building should be erected in 
accordance with the plans. Prof. A. D. F. Hamlin of Columbia Univer- 
sity, New York City, was employed as an expert. Eight sets of plans 
were opened on July 18, 1901, and, after examination by the expert, the 
first prize was awarded to plans which were found to have been submitted 
by Green & Wicks. A contract was at once made with them and the 
perfecting and completion of the plans undertaken. This done, bids were 
asked for, and Kehr & Felton, of this city, were found to be the lowest 
bidders. Upon the basis of this bid it was now possible to ascertain more 
nearly the cost of the enterprise and to take account of assets. It was de- 
termined to borrow upon mortgage the sum of $125,000. which represents 
a conservative estimate of the value of the old property; besides this, it 
was found that further subscriptions of $125,000 were required. At this 
point a friend of the association offered to give $25,000 provided the re- 
maining $100,000 be raised. A canvas for this amount was at once 

79 



undertaken and is now in progress ; as we go to press there remains 
unsubscribed about $49,000. 

In the meantime, however, in order that the building might not be 
unnecessarily delayed, a contract was, on February 1, 1902, signed with 
Kehr & Felton for the construction of the entire foundation and base- 
ment, the outside work in the tower and west wing, and for the entire 
completion of the gymnasium annex, for the sum of $181,265; with further 
provision, that at any time before July 1st a further contract might be 
made for the completion of the tower and west wing at a cost of $50,378, 
or for the completion of the east wing at a cost of $26,438, or for both these 
things. Thus, with its usual business caution, the association has not 
contracted to pay a dollar it has not already among its assets. To the 
figures given above there will be added before the building is completed 
a large amount for architect's fees, fixtures, extras, and other charges, 
so that it is fair to estimate that the new building will cost $300,000, to 
which must be added $100,000, the cost of the site. 

As we write these words, from New York comes news of a munificent 
gift, which, in a very beautiful way, links the opening year of the second 
half century with the memory of the opening year of the first half ; the 
honorable place of founder of the Buffalo Association belongs to George 
W. Perkins, as we have already seen. Mr. Perkins has gone home, but his 
son, bearing the same name, has not forgotten the beauty nor usefulness 
of his father's life. Mr. Perkins loved, all his life, to bring young men 
together and talk to them about the Master, and it seemed to his son a 
very fitting thing that the hall owned by the association which he founded, 
where will gather in years to come thousands upon thousands of young 
men to listen to the same story, should bear the founder's name. With 
this in view, Mr. George W. Perkins of New York City, a member of the 
firm of J. P. Morgan & Co., has subscribed twenty-five thousand dollars, 
which represents the cost of the hall in the new building, with the 
request that the hall be known as "Perkins Memorial Hall." The sub- 
scription has been accepted and the request granted by the Board of Trus- 
tees ; the completion of that portion of the building is, therefore, assured 
in a way peculiarly appropriate and fortunate. 

Here the story of this second building project must be left at the close 
of the jubilee year. One cannot read it without comparison with the story 
of twenty years ago ; then, it took thirteen years to raise $100,000 and 
erect the present building; now, it has taken two years to raise $250,000 
and assure the erection of a building two and one-half times as large ; then, 

80 



it required a struggle desperate and prolonged ; now, it has required a deal 
of persistence, resourcefulness, and wise generalship on the part of 
General Secretary Whitford, large liberality on the part of a few friends, 
and a modest amount of work from many others. We do not think it can 
properly be termed a struggle. What does this change indicate ? Three 
things, undoubtedly, if not others : that our city has grown greater and 
richer; that a new spirit of broad liberality in the giving of money is 
growing up in these later days ; and, more than all, that the Young 
Men's Christian Association has proven its claim upon the purse of the 
community and has to-day a contributing constituency far greater, far 
more willing and loyal, than it had twenty years ago. 

Here, then, the close of the first half century of life finds the Central 
Department, the old, original work of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation of Buffalo, full of the vigor of youth and strength, abounding in 
good works, secure in the high esteem of the community and the hearts 
of its friends ; looking forward eagerly to broader, more virile life and 
greater harvest of results in the magnificent building slowly rising under 
the touch of the workman's tool. Surely has God greatly blessed it in 
times that are past ; may God bless it in even greater measure in times 
that are to come. 



8] 




Depew Railroad Department Building, (leased.) 
Depew. 




Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad Department Building. 
Buffalo Creek— B., R. & P. Yards. 



Chapter VI. 

PERIOD OF METROPOLITAN EXPANSION. 

WE SAID, at the beginning of this little book, that the Young 
Men's Christian Association is a product of natural growth, not 
of one great creative stroke. Its organism is very firm in re- 
spect to great basic principles, but very plastic in adapting itself to new 
conditions and new exigencies. It has no creed of polity nor of method 
which prevents its meeting every problem in the way that is wisest and 
most effective, even although in doing so old and established things must 
pass away. 

In such a spirit it met the problems of government and relationships 
which grew out of the establishment of branch organizations. It is man- 
ifest that when an institution founds a branch and gives it some measure 
of self government, and the branch waxes strong and great and conse- 
quently self reliant, in such case the questions of control of, and relations 
between, the parent and the offspring will necessarily become important 
and delicate. 

The metropolitan organization is the association's answer to this 
problem. It is like in its nature to the combination of federal and state 
governments in the American Republic ; with this vital distinction, that, 
while in the nation the federal government has only such power as is 
specifically given it and the States retain the residue, in the association 
the branches or departments have only such power as is specifically given 
them and the central authority retains the residue, with the additional 
right of ultimate and absolute control under the constitution. The asso- 
ciation consists of the entire membership in all its departments, with a 
Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, President, General Secretary and 
other officers, who bear equal relations of authority and duty to all 
departments. The individual departments consist each of its own affili- 
ated membership, with a Committee of Management, composed, wherever 
possible, of its own members, as a governing body. The Central, or Gen- 

83 



eral, Boards own and control all the property and are equally interested 
in all departments. The policy, however, has always been to leave the 
management of affairs within each department to its own governing body, 
with as little interference from the central authority as circumstances will 
permit. As actually worked out, the policy may be fairly described in 
two phrases — a maximum of power in the General Boards and a mini- 
mum of active exercise of such power. 

In Buffalo the plan has proven most beneficent and efficient in 
results ; the departments are strengthened by the sympathy and backing 
of the great organization, are helped in many practical ways by the 
union, and yet attain all the vigor and courage that come with self- 
reliance. Moreover, the General Boards being freed from the burden of 
details have been able to turn their attention and their energies into the 
work of further extension. 

The first practical step in this direction was taken in 1890, when the 
constitution was radically amended and the Central Department was created 
out of the old, original work carried on in the Mohawk Street building. 
The elective members of the Board of Directors were reduced to twelve, 
four of whom it was provided should be elected annually ; besides these 
twelve, the chairman of each department committee of management was 
made a member of the Board. The metropolitan organization and equip- 
ment were then left incomplete in two respects, however ; the treasury of 
the Central Department was not separated from the general association 
treasury until 1898, and no General Secretary was employed until that 
year, when Mr. A. H. Whitford began his service. 

While the formulation of the metropolitan plan of government illus- 
trates the flexibility of the organic structure of the association, the found- 
ing and growth of branches designed for work among particular classes 
illustrate its flexibility in method and its remarkable adaptability to the 
varying wants and environments of all sorts and conditions of men. The 
work of metropolitan expansion has been going on rapidly in Buffalo 
during the past few years and there are to-day eight departments or cen- 
ters of association life. I have already told the story of the Central 
Department ; there remain the histories of the other departments, told in 
the order of their founding. 

UNION TERMINAL RAILROAD DEPARTMENT. 

Railroad men necessarily form a class by themselves. By reason of 
their peculiar life, it is very difficult for even those who sincerely desire it 

84 



to keep in close touch with the church, and the church as such, when 
taking the initiative, has found it well nigh impossible to reach them. 
They are much away from home and forced to spend many nights and 
eat many meals in other places, which must necessarily be moderate in 
price. The saloon has always been quick to accept a business oppor- 
tunity and these conditions offer a tempting one. A magnificent body of 
men, subjected to many temptations, leading a peculiar and isolating life ; 
here was a problem, and the church, through the association, has solved 
it. The story of how the railroad corporations have been led to support 
this work, purely as a business proposition, is interesting, but cannot be 
told here ; it is sufficient to say that the day is not far off, even if it is 
not here, when every successful railroad corporation will consider depart- 
ments of the Young Men's Christian Association as a necessary part of 
their plant and equipment. 

The first special effort in behalf of railroad men in Buffalo was made 
in 1876, when a series of Sunday meetings was started at the Louisiana 
Street station of what was then the Buffalo, New York & Philadelphia 
R. R., now the Pennsylvania. 

The first meeting was held in August and was addressed by Conductor 
A. H. Ketchum of the Erie and by Rev. G. E. Strobridge. These meet- 
ings were held outside the station until the weather became too cold, 
when they were continued in the waiting room. During the winter, how- 
ever, they were transferred, for some reason, to the Wells Street Chapel ; 
this move seems to have been unfortunate, for the meetings were soon 
abandoned. 

In September, 1877, General Secretary Jenkins and Mr. Samuel L. 
Seymour attended the first conference of railroad association delegates 
held at Cleveland. Touched with the enthusiasm of this gathering, they 
undertook to organize a Railroad Men's Christian Association during the 
winter of 1878. Mr. Seymour called a meeting of a few Christian Rail- 
road men in his office ; this little gathering resulted in the calling of a 
general meeting for organization. At this meeting Mr. Seymour was 
elected President ; J. C. Schermerhorn, Secretary and Treasurer, and 
they, with A. H. Ketchum, were made a managing board. Meetings 
were held in the East Presbyterian Church, Mr. E. D. Ingersoll, Railroad 
Secretary of the International Committee, being present on many occa- 
sions to counsel and help. The railroads were petitioned for financial 
assistance, both for current expenses and for a building ; the New York 
Central and the Lake Shore responded favorably to both requests. A 





F. R. Starkey, 
Office Secretary. 




W. B. Van Scoter, 
Librarian. 



W. A. Lewis, 
Assistant Physical Director. 




W. F. Hirsch, 
Associate Secretary. 



J. Y. Cameron, 
Physical Director. 



E. A. Putnam, 
Membership Secretary. 



H. C. Harter, 
Business Secretary. 





S. H. Garry, 
Office Assistant. 




A. P. Holly, 
Assistant Secretary Boys' Department. 

A. H. Whitford, Secretary (52). 
CENTRAL DEPARTMENT -PAID OFFICERS. 



Miss Ellen Brown, 
Secretary Boys' Department. 



committee was appointed which looked over the Central yards at East 
Buffalo, where it was proposed to locate a building, and reported that a 
great need existed there. But the movement did not seem to prosper 
and later a fresh start was made, this time in the heart of the city among 
the terminal stations. In February, 1879, Mr. Seymour presented to the 
Directors an expression of desire on the part of the Railroad Men's 
Christian Association to be organically merged with the Young Men's 
Christian Association, and the Board formally granted the request and 
completed the merger. In October, 1879, a new committee was appointed, 
consisting of S. L. Seymour, S. S. Guthrie, George N. Pierce, Mr. Lawson, 
and W. W. Buffum, and the down-town work was undertaken in earnest, 
and this time with success. The railroads were asked for contributions, 
and the following made pledges of monthly appropriations : New York, 
Lake Erie & Western, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, New York Cen- 
tral & Hudson River, and Canada Southern. Mr. George R. Tuttle was 
engaged as Secretary and began his service April 1, 1880. Rooms 
were leased over 247-251 Michigan Street, which were furnished and 
occupied on June 1st. At this time no membership had been enrolled, 
but the work was at once taken up and pushed actively among the men. 
On December 1, 1881, the department moved to better rooms at the 
corner of Exchange and Wells streets, and on August 1, 1888, to still 
larger and more suitable quarters in the Rumsey Block at the corner of 
Exchange and Ellicott streets. Here it remained until December 1, igor, 
when it opened and dedicated splendid quarters in the Fitch Institute 
Building at the corner of Swan and Michigan streets. Up to this time 
the department had been known as the Exchange Street Railroad Depart- 
ment, but the removal to another street rendered the old name inappro- 
priate and it was accordingly changed to the Union Terminal Railroad 
Department ; a name chosen with prophetic vision of the day when the 
department shall have fine quarters in, or near, the great Union Terminal 
Station. 

The membership of such an organization is necessarily limited by the 
size of the constituency which it serves ; during the twenty-two years of its 
existence the department has had a membership list fluctuating slightly 
from time to time, but slowly growing larger, until, at the close of this 
jubilee year, it has reached 403, the highest point it has ever attained. 

Mr. Tuttle, the first Secretary, was succeeded December 15, 1880, by 
Mr. George W. Luce, who served until October 1, 1884, when Mr. C. H. 
Winne took his place. On November 7th of the same year, Mr. F. H. 

87 



Thatcher began his service, which has continued until now, without abate- 
ment of efficiency or success. The department owes much of its steady 
and progressive usefulness to his wise leadership. 

The privileges offered in the Wells Street rooms were briefly an- 
nounced as follows : reading room, conversation and amusement room, 
wash room, writing material, bath rooms, entertainments, young men's 
bible class, general bible class, gospel service, cottage meetings. 

In the Ellicott Street quarters lodging rooms and a kitchen were 
added, with other attractions made possible by enlarged facilities. We 
cannot better characterize the work which is, and has been, carried on 
by this department than by describing the quarters where it is now domi- 
ciled and the uses to which they are put ; for the work of to-day is the same 
in kind as the work of 1880, only better organized, better done, and in all 
ways made more perfect. The entire Fitch Institute building above the 
ground floor is occupied by the department, with the exception of the 
Swan Street front of the first floor. The first floor is given over to offices, 
cloak room, library and reading room well supplied with reading matter, 
amusement rooms with games of all sorts, including pool, bagatelle, and 
barletto tables ; smoking room, large parlors, which can be thrown 
together, thus forming an audience room of considerable size, and a 
kitchen for use at members' receptions and entertainments. The floors 
above are both given over to large, airy, well-furnished sleeping rooms, 
wash rooms, bath rooms, and a large kitchen provided with gas ranges, 
all facilities for cooking, and a large number of lockers where the members 
keep their kits. Here the out-of-town members, " laying over " during 
meal time at the end of a run, prepare and cook their own meals, a 
privilege which is very largely used. 

These jubilee year statistics add to our knowledge of the work. 
Average daily attendance at the rooms, 211 ; attendance at social gath- 
erings, 1,215 ; volumes in library, 600 ; bible class enrollment, 30 ; lodg- 
ings furnished, 23,144 ; kitchen used, 14,344. The department spent 
$8,537.37. Of this amount the following was contributed by the railroad 
companies : New York Central & Hudson River R. R., $1,200 ; Lake 
Shore & Michigan Southern, $600.00 ; Pennsylvania, $300.00 ; Michigan 
Central R. R., $300,00 ; Wabash R. R., $30.00 (three months). 

EAST BUFFALO RAILROAD DEPARTMENT. 

As we have seen, when the association first became interested in an 
effort to do something for the railroad men of Buffalo, the point which 



then seemed more than any other to demand attention was East Buffalo. 
The first start was made there in 1877, but did not prove successful ; the 
next effort was made down town and resulted in the founding of the 
Union Terminal Department. When, in 1888, the East Buffalo Railroad 
Department became a reality, it was, therefore, the final fulfillment of the 
hopes and purposes which inspired the men of the previous decade ; more- 
over, the department's history has fully demonstrated the soundness of 
their judgment concerning need and opportunity. 

On November 26, 1886, Mr. Thatcher, Secretary of the Union Ter- 
minal Department, brought the matter of work at East Buffalo before the 
Committee of Management of that department and recommended that, 
" in order to bring the matter of a branch at East Buffalo into definite 
form, a committee be appointed to investigate and report fully at next 
meeting." The recommendation was adopted, and Chairman Frank A. 
Seabert appointed Henry L. Keene, Emery D. Angell, and Mr. Thatcher 
as such committee 

What followed is well told in this item taken from the April issue of 
The Bulletin : 

For several months the organization of a Railroad Department at East Buffalo has 
been talked of. The matter has been discussed from time to time by the Executive Com- 
mittee, and a special committee appointed to look over the field, with a view to ascertain- 
ing the particular needs, the probable means of support, and best location. This com- 
mittee found the greatest need for rooms and conveniences for the men, and found the 
men enthusiastic in the movement, and the deepest interest manifested by the officers and 
heads of departments of the several companies. On March 28th a meeting was held at the 
office of Mr. Eugene Chamberlain, Master Car Builder N. Y. C. There were present Mr. 
Chamberlain, Mr. Amos Gould, Master Mechanic N. Y. C. ; Mr. H. H. Perkins, Joint 
Agent L. S. & M. S. and N. Y. C. ; Mr. S. M. Slocum, Agent N. Y. C. ; Mr. James 
Macbeth, Master Mechanic W. S. ; Mr. Thomas F. Maloney, Yard Master N. Y. C. ; Mr. 
G. E. Husted, Agent L. S. & M. S. ; Mr. Geo. A. Warburton, General Secretary R. R. 
Department Grand Central Depot, N. Y.; Mr. S. E. Adams, President Buffalo Associa- 
tion ; Mr. F. A. Seabert, and Mr. F. H. Thatcher, Chairman and General Secretary of this 
department. After thorough discussion, it was decided to push the matter at once, and 
the work is now well under way. Help has been promised by the several companies, and 
a Railroad Branch at East Buffalo is assured. 

Pursuant to instructions given him at this meeting, Mr. Thatcher at 
once prepared a petition asking the Central, West Shore, and Lake Shore 
railroads, and Wagner Palace Car Company to unite in providing a plant 
for the Young Men's Christian Association in or near the East Buffalo 
yards and pledging the signers to membership and the payment of a $2.00 
fee annually. This petition was circulated among the men and received 





Fred. W. Burkhardt 
Physical Director. 




Henry E. W. Simon, 
Assistant Secretary. 




Otto Retter, 
Secretary. 




Carl E. Wittwer, 
Secretary, 1888-03, i895~99. 



Herman H. Lohans, 
Secretary - , i893-95i 1899-02. 



GERMAN DEPARTMENT -PAID OEFICERS. 



over 600 signatures ; it constituted an appeal so powerful that it brought, 
prompt and favorable response from three of the companies. The work 
of preparation and organization was then vigorously taken up, the officers 
of the companies themselves taking the lead ; Mr. Theodore Voorhees 
of the New York Central was especially active. State Secretary Hall 
was called upon and was actively interested with Mr. Voorhees in select- 
ing the site for the proposed work and in securing the needed appropria- 
tions from the companies. At a meeting of the Board, held March 1, 
1888, Mr. Voorhees, on behalf of the companies, submitted the matter to 
the Board, asking that the new enterprise be made a part of the associa- 
tion, and pledging the companies to its financial support. The proposi- 
tion was accepted and President Gratwick was authorized to appoint a 
Committee of Management and formally constitute the department. A 
meeting of interested parties was held in the Board room on March 8, 
1888, at which time the organization was completed and the following 
committee appointed, being made up entirely of representatives of the 
contributing companies : Eugene Chamberlin, Chairman ; Amos Gould, 
T. F. Maloney, W. H. Perrine, G. H. Hoover, M. Wilder, Theodore Voor- 
hees, C. H. Ketcham, James Macbeth, H. E. Hewitt, H. W. Bradley, D. 
B. McCoy, T. A. Bissell, Ira B. Littlefield, J. M. Palmatier, and H. W. 
Webb. 

Temporary quarters were at once provided by placing on the siding of 
the New York Central tracks at Bailey Avenue two passenger coaches, 
which were fitted up as reading and amusement rooms. Mr. H. E. Rhodes 
was secured as Department Secretary and began his service on March 15, 

1888. Even to these limited accommodations the men began to come in 
rapidly and soon the membership numbered 1,000. From the start it was 
recognized that a building must be put up if the work were to be properly 
done. In the fall of the first year the W^est Shore Railroad Company 
offered to lease a lot at the corner of Broadway and Bailey Avenue for a 
nominal rental, and, the matter of appropriations from the companies 
having been adjusted, plans were prepared for the building and construc- 
tion commenced. The building cost about $10,000, which was paid by 
the Central and West Shore Railroad companies and the Wagner Palace 
Car Company. It was formally opened on February 18, 1889, with a 
grand reception, when special trains were run from Exchange Street and 
over 2,000 people were entertained. 

Mr. Rhodes severed his connection with the department in April, 

1889, and, after nearly three months' delay, his place was taken by Mr. 

91 



Edwin Kettle, who still remains in charge, and has been the chief in- 
strument in shaping and building the department into its present excellent 
condition. 

The membership of the department is peculiarly subject to influences 
arising out of railroad and industrial conditions ; a continued strike 
nearly wipes it out ; large freight business builds it up ; full gangs in 
the car shops mean a full membership list, while half force or half time 
means a depleted list. In this fact is found the explanation of the great 
fluctuations shown by the records ; for three years now it has held quite 
steadily at about its present number, 1,166. 

In addition to the familiar association features, library, reading rooms, 
amusement rooms, parlors, bath rooms, social, educational, and religious 
meetings of various kinds, the department conducts a restaurant, at which 
11,289 meals were served during the year just closed ; has a number of 
bedrooms, which accommodated 4,198 guests ; and provides a hospital 
for its members and railroad men generally, which is first class in every 
particular, being equipped with a modern operating room and in charge 
of competent surgeons and physicians. The average daily attendance at 
the building last year was 140 ; the library has 841 volumes, and was 
used 2,989 times ; the bible class enrollment was sixty. The department 
disbursed $7,900.20 last year, and the membership dues amounted to 
$2,075.51. The Central and West Shore and Pullman Companies con- 
tinue to be the supporting corporations. 

GERMAN DEPARTMENT. 

That Buffalo has a very large German population is a fact too well 
known to require anything more than the bare statement ; east of Main 
street there is a German city larger than many respectable cities of the 
Fatherland. Our German-speaking residents are excellent citizens and 
loyal Americans ; but the differences of race and language cause them, 
where they have settled in great numbers, to form a somewhat separate 
and distinct community and make it difficult to unite them with the native- 
born American in religious work. Moreover, the American association is 
peculiarly an American institution and it seems at times hard to adjust 
the German religious idea and method to its hearty support. These 
things have made it seem necessary in Buffalo to conduct an association 
work among German young men as a distinct institution, and have made 
it unusually hard to achieve success. 

92 



As far back as 1859, we find the association showing anxiety to help 
the German-speaking young men ; in the summer of that year a German 
bible class was started in Roth's hall, on Michigan Street, and conducted 
for sometime with considerable success. In 1865 the association em- 
ployed Rev. A. Alward as City Missionary, assisting Mr. Cook, to do a 
special work among Germans. In later years at various times German 
prayer meetings were held in the rooms and special efforts made to interest 
German young men. 

At the annual meeting of 1887, President Adams, in his address, used 
these words, " It has been suggested that it would be a grand thing if, in 
the German quarter of our city, some such institution as this Young 
Men's Christian Association could be established. What can we do for 
the German young men ? " 

Stirred with a desire to do something for their fellows, a few Christian 
young men went to Rev. E. Jung, pastor of the United Evangelical St. 
Peter's Church, immediately after this annual meeting and asked his help. 
A number of meetings were held in the school room of Mr. Jung's church, 
at which the matter was thoroughly discussed. It was decided to ask 
Mr. Claus Olandt, Jr., German Secretary of the International Committee, 
to come to Buffalo and assist in the matter. Mr. Olandt came, and it is 
proper to say at the very outset that from this time until the erection of 
the building the German Department had no more devoted friend, nor 
more faithful, efficient worker than Mr. Olandt. He at once put him- 
self in touch with General Secretary Squire and the two pushed the en- 
terprise vigorously. Mr. Olandt called on many pastors and business 
men and finally called a meeting of representatives of German evangeli- 
cal churches of all denominations to be held in the United Evangelical 
St. Paul's Church on the evening of May 22, 1888. This meeting was at- 
tended by about sixty men, representing five denominations ; after some 
discussion, it was resolved to petition the Board of Directors to organize 
a German Department. This petition, when laid before the Board, met 
with a very cordial reception, and after two informal conferences between 
the Board and the committee representing the meeting of May 22d, the 
prayer of the petition was granted. On June 5, 1888, the department 
was formally constituted by appointing the following committee : Theo- 
phil Speyser, Chairman ; Wm. J. Zirbes, Vice-Chairman ; Jacob Jung, Re- 
cording Secretary ; Philip Houck, Treasurer ; Jacob F. Berner, Philip 
Bommer, Charles Boiler, B. Klingelhoefer, E. W. Peseler, John G. Seeger, 
George Degen, W. H. Loew, Frederick Miller, Edward Eisele. 

93 



A financial canvass was at once started and $600 soon pledged. Mr. 
Carl E. Wittwer, who was at that time just finishing his course at the 
Springfield Training School, was secured as Secretary, and began his 
service June 14, 1888. 

Rooms were at once secured in the large hall on the third floor of the 
Scheu Block, corner of Genesee and Spring streets. These quarters pro- 
vided the department with reading room, amusement room, class rooms, 
a large meeting hall, a parlor, and three bath rooms. The rooms were 
well lighted, and after they had been handsomely furnished, largely 
through the efforts of the Ladies' Auxiliary, they became very cheery and 
inviting. A formal opening was held September 12, 1888, at which time 
the rooms were crowded with interested friends, and addresses were 
delivered by Mr. Wm. H. Gratwick in English, and Rev. C. L. Schild and 
Rev. J. Kaechele in German. 

On the first day of this month the first number of the Ve7'ei?isstimmen 
appeared and has since continued as the official organ of the department. 
From the first, the great ambition of the department was that it might 
own a well-equipped home of its own ; towards this all efforts centered, 
and, indeed, it may be said that the early history of the department con- 
sists largely of the story of the struggle for this home. Mr. Olandt very 
early put his shoulder to the wheel and was in all the early stages of the 
movement the leading and inspiring spirit. In November, 1890, a build- 
ing committee was appointed, consisting of the following men : B. 
Klingelhoefer, Chairman ; Philip Houck, Treasurer ; Ph. Bommer, Louis 
Kempff, Wm. Gisel, Theophil Speyser, and Mr. Wittwer. Mr. Speyser a 
year later became Chairman of this committee and continued in that 
office until the building was occupied. The work of raising funds was 
actively pressed and within a short time the department was able to pur- 
chase a lot, 50 by 150, at the corner of Genesee and Davis streets, the 
price being $6,000. The subscriptions continuing to increase, Mr. C. R. 
Percival, the architect who had planned the Mohawk Street building, was 
retained, and plans and specifications were prepared. But after this there 
came a wearying delay before sufficient payments had been made and 
pledges received to justify the association in proceeding to build. On 
March 14, 1893, the Committee of Management requested the Board of 
Directors to proceed with the work, and immediately thereafter contracts 
were signed and work begun. 

On July 16, 1893, the corner stone was laid. His Honor, Mayor 
Charles F. Bishop, performed the ceremony, and the Rev. P. Kottler deliv- 

94 



ered the address ; short addresses were also delivered by Mr. Louis Kempff, 
President William H. Johnson, and Mr. Henry Bond ; Dr. D. B. Stumpf 
presided, and Mr. Speyser read a report of the Building Committee. 

The building was practically finished in the winter of 1894-5, but it 
was difficult to procure funds for furnishing. At this juncture, General 
Secretary Squire came to the rescue and enlisted the helpfulness of the 
ladies in a number of American churches, whose timely aid made the final 
equipment of the building possible. 

It was opened Sunday, September 29, 1895. On that day an hour of 
prayer in the early morning, with meetings for men and boys in the 
afternoon, opened the festive week which followed, all hearts turning 
gratefully and prayerfully to God, thus striking the proper keynote. The 
building was then thrown open to the public, Monday being contributors' 
day, and on Tuesday the pastors and business men were banqueted. 
Wednesday was the day of dedication. Rev. Dr. Otto Becher delivered 
the address ; Mr. Pascal P. Pratt, President of the Board of Trus- 
tees, handed the key of the building to Mr. Chas. Boiler, the Chair- 
man of the Building Committee, who turned it over to the Chairman 
of the German Department, Dr. D. B. Stumpf. A reception for ladies in 
the afternoon of Thursday was followed in the evening by one for the 
Young People's Societies of the German churches, the festivities coming 
to an end when the boys and young men took possession of the building 
on the afternoon and evening of Friday, October 4th. 

The building of the German Department is very complete and finely 
adapted to its purpose ; it is more modern in arrangement and equipment 
than the present Central building and, especially in its physical depart- 
ment, is thoroughly satisfactory. The total cost of land and building 
was $54,000. 

Before the completion of the building for which he had worked so 
hard, Mr. Wittwer handed in his resignation as Secretary, and it was 
accepted in June, 1893. Mr. H. H. Lohans, who had been acting as 
assistant, was made Acting Secretary and so continued until December of 
the same year, when he was given leave of absence in order that he might 
attend the Springfield Training School for six months. During his 
absence, Mr. F. W. Godtfring was made Acting Secretary. Both during 
Mr. Lohans' absence and for some months after his return, Mr. Godtfring 
devoted himself almost exclusively to solicitation of subscriptions to the 
building fund and with remarkable success ; many thousands of dollars 
must be credited to his individual efforts. Mr. Lohans returned in July, 

95 





Frank H. Thatcher, 
Union Terminal. 



Edwin Kettle, 
East Buffalo. 





Walter F. Inskip, 
Depew. 



Fred C. Brown, 
B., R. & P. 



SECRETARIES OF RAILROAD DEPARTMENTS. 



1894, and was at once made Department Secretary. He continued in that 
position with remarkable success until September, 1897, when Mr. Carl E. 
Wittwer, who had previously become assistant, was again made Secretary, 
as Mr. Lohans' successor. Mr. Wittwer again resigned and was again 
succeeded by Mr. Lohans, in November, 1899. In March, 1902, Mr. 
Lohans definitely determined to enter the ministry, and therefore again 
resigned and was succeeded by the present Secretary, Mr. Otto Retter, who 
had been for some years an assistant. During all these changes, Mr. 
F. W. Burkhardt has remained in the position of physical director and 
has brought his department up to a very high standard of excellence. 

While the department remained in rented quarters the membership 
remained small, less than 200 ; but when the new building was occupied, 
it soared upward in a bewildering fashion. The sudden coming in of 700 
new members nearly swamped the enterprise and was, perhaps, a misfor- 
tune. The number fell off over 300 the following year, but has since been 
climbing slowly upward, until this jubilee year it has reached 714, the 
highest point it has ever attained, excepting the boom year of 1895-6. 

The department very soon after making a start in rented quarters 
found it impossible to do much more than lay foundations and prepare 
for the real work in its own building ; most of the department's energies 
went into the building project. In the present building its work has 
grown steadily in volume and excellence. It does not need to be de- 
scribed in detail, for it is like, in all essential respects, the work at the 
Central Department. The department has an unusually fine and very 
popular physical department — its basket ball team, which has not yet 
found its equal anywhere, has made it famous ; it has an excellent Junior 
Division and large emphasis is laid on the religious work in all its phases. 

Last year the daily average of attendance at the rooms was 167 ; 486 
members used the gymnasium ; there was a total attendance of 3,582 
men and boys at the different sessions of six bible classes, and 1,535 
attended other religious services. 

Finances have always been especially troublesome at the German 
Department, but its friends are slowly increasing in numbers and liberal- 
ity, and the outlook to-day is brighter than ever before. The budget 
showed a disbursement of $5,921.70 last year. 

DEPEW RAILROAD DEPARTMENT. 

The sudden and rapid "growth of the suburban railroad village of 
Depew, caused by the location there of the New York Central Machine 

97 



Shops and other large shops and factories, furnished a need and an oppor- 
tunity which could not be neglected. 

On July 31, 1893, a meeting was held, at the East Buffalo Depart- 
ment, of representatives of Depew and of the Buffalo Association. On 
November 27th following, another similar meeting was held in the Central 
Department building, at which it was determined to ask the Board to 
establish a railroad department at Depew. On Sunday afternoon, Decem- 
ber 3, 1893, a meeting was held in the Grimesville station of the New York 
Central, located between Depew and Lancaster, for the purpose of discuss- 
ing the matter of organization. A special train from Buffalo was placed at 
the disposal of the Buffalo men, and there were fifty men present in all, 
representing Buffalo, Depew, and Lancaster. One of the results of this 
meeting was a series of Sunday afternoon services held in the Grimesville 
station, which were continued for some time with considerable success. 

On February 8, 1894, the Board, by resolution, formally provided for 
the founding of a department at Depew, and a little later President 
Blakeslee appointed the following as the first Committee of Manage- 
ment : Clinton L. Rossiter, Chairman ; G. H. Hazleton, P. H. Ryan, C. 
Yeomans, W. D. Pond, James Macbeth, James Grundy, C. H. Bullis, C. 
H. Hogan, G. Burlingham. An appropriation of $600 was made by the 
New York Central, and Mr. W. F. Inskip, a member of the East Buffalo 
Department, was employed as Secretary. Mr. Inskip still continues in 
office ; he has done excellent work in bringing the department through 
its trying days of beginnings and has become individually a leading citi- 
zen and strong force for good in the community. 

The Depew Improvement Company offered the free use of one of its 
houses and a suitable one was selected on Ellicott Road, just east of the 
New York Central Shops. The sum of $600 was raised for equipment, 
Mr. Cornelius Yanderbilt contributing one-half the amount, and the house 
was comfortably furnished. It was ready for use January 1, 1895, but 
was not formally opened until February 14th, when the building was 
crowded to overflowing with men. Here the department remained for 
two years until its quarters became too small, when it moved into a 
larger and better building, which is also furnished rent free by the Depew 
Improvement Company. Here the department is very comfortably 
housed, having a large reading room, a parlor and three bath rooms on 
the first floor, and a gymnasium on the second floor. The library forms 
quite a feature of the work at Depew ; it already numbers 2,200 volumes 
and is growing rapidly ; 4,800 volumes were drawn last year. 

98 



The work at Depew resembles more nearly that of a general associa- 
tion and does not need to be especially described. It has 238 members ; 
the average daily attendance is seventy-two ; there are nineteen young 
men in the bible class and an average of forty at the Sunday service. 
Last year the department spent $1,290.76. The following companies 
contributed : New York Central, $600, also, coal, oil, and other supplies 
valued at $150 ; Gould Coupler, $50 ; Magnus Metal, $50 ; Depew Im- 
provement (rent of building), $300. 

STUDENT DEPARTMENT. 

Every class of young men presents to the church seeking to reach and 
to help a problem different from that presented by any other class ; thus 
the student class offers its peculiar problem, and it is, withal, one of vital 
and tremendous importance, for here are the leaders of the future, in 
science, politics, law, theology, statesmanship, and business. This class 
surely must be kept in line for Christian righteousness. So far as the 
problem relates to our colleges, the association feels that it has furnished 
the solution and has proven itself to be the best tool in the hands of the 
church for doing the work ; but so far as it relates to the post-graduate 
schools in our great cities, the problem is not so near solution. These 
young men, fresh from farm and village or from undergraduate work, 
scattered about in the midst of the city and yet not part of it, without 
the solidarity or esprit born of college life and loyalty, present problems 
very serious and, at the same time, very difficult of solution. The asso- 
ciation is giving the question very careful study at the hands of experts, 
and is slowly, but, it is believed, surely working toward a solution ; cer- 
tainly great progress has been made. 

For many years, the Buffalo Association had made informal efforts, 
from time to time, by means of special receptions, special classes in the 
gymnasiums and elsewhere, special rates of membership and otherwise, 
to secure a hold on the 700 students in the University of Buffalo; but it 
was not until the spirit of metropolitan expansion had been fully caught 
and developed into progressive activity, under the wise leadership of Mr. 
Whitford, that any definite and permanent methods were adopted for this 
purpose. In the fall of 1900, the Board of Directors asked a committee, 
consisting of Dr. Eli H. Long, Dr. Willis G. Gregory, and Mr. Whitford, 
to investigate the situation and report a definite scheme. The commit- 
tee, aided by Mr. Henry Wade Hicks, International Secretary for college 

99 





Ernest H. Bennett, Leroy A. Howe, Fred Westfall. 

Assistant Secretary, Union Terminal. Assistant Secretay, Union Terminal. Night Secretary, Union Terminal. 





Arthur Dunlop, 
Assistant Secretary, Union Terminal. 



Harry C. Murphy, 
Assistant Secretary, East Buffalo. 




Adelbert W. Calkins, Robert Allingham, 

Membership Secretary, East Buffalo. Night Secretary, East Buffalo. 



Royal Myers, 
Night Secretary, B., R. & P. 



RAILROAD DEPARTMENT -ASSISTANT SECRETARIES. 



work, did their work thoroughly, and on October n, 1900, reported to the 
Board, recommending the beginning of a definite work. This report was 
adopted and the task of organization was vigorously pushed. Owing to 
peculiar conditions existing in this case, it was not considered wise to 
adopt the usual form of department organization, but, instead, the 
students themselves formed an organization with president and other 
officers, and an advisory committee was appointed largely from the facul- 
ties of the University, which has power to supervise and direct where 
necessary ; all subject, of course, to final control by the Board, here as 
everywhere. Mr. J. H. Hutchinson (medical) was elected the first Presi- 
dent and Dr. Matthew D. Mann, of the Medical Faculty, has been from 
the start Chairman of the Advisory Committee ; the other members are 
Dr. Willis G. Gregory, Dr. E. H. Long, Dr. Wm. D. Jacob, President 
R. B. Adam, and Mr. A. H. Whitford. 

In the fall of 1901 a house was rented at the corner of Main and 
North streets and furnished ; this has been kept open as a home and club 
house for the students. Rooms are rented and board furnished at a rea- 
sonable rate ; and the building has been given, so far as possible, all the 
appointments necessary to make it an attractive rendezvous to members 
of the association. It has been made the center of a Christian work 
among the students by the students themselves ; religious meetings are 
held, bible classes organized, and quiet but persistent effort made to 
encourage personal work by the members. The house has been, in its 
general management, under the immediate charge of Mr. Whitford, and 
in its domestic economy has been controlled by Mrs. Whitford, to whom 
very much of its success is owing. 

ARMY DEPARTMENT. 

Something has already been told concerning the work of the Army 
Committee on behalf of the soldiers and in aid of the Christian Commis- 
sion during the Civil War. During the interval, between 1865 and 1898, 
sporadic attempts were made by the Buffalo Association to do something 
for the soldiers at Fort Porter, but nothing very definite was attempted. 
Immediately upon the declaration of war with Spain and the mobilization 
of an army which followed, the International Committee undertook a 
work among soldiers and sailors, which was carried on with marvelous 
success during the war, and is now achieving great and permanent results 
in a regularly organized work carried on at nearly 400 points in navy 
yards and army posts and wherever the soldiers of the Union have gone. 

101 



Buffalo did not fall behind in this army work, but immediately appointed 
an Army Committee, of which Mr. George R. Howard was Chairman, 
raised money in aid of the general work of the International Committee, 
and kept an association tent and secretary in the field with the Sixty-Fifth 
Regiment while it remained at Camp Alger. This tent was furnished with 
correspondence tables, games, magazines, and newspapers, a library sent 
by the Buffalo Public Library, an organ and hymn books. Some idea of 
the popularity of the tent may be gathered from the fact that the average 
daily attendance was over 600. 

Since the close of the war never more than about 200 soldiers have been 
stationed at Fort Porter at any one time, but even that number furnishes 
material sufficient for a very useful work. In 1899, Mr. D. C. Warner, 
who was then a student at the Normal School, became very much inter- 
ested in the soldiers and began to do what personal work among them he 
was able. General Secretary Whitford, very shortly thereafter, began to 
look over the ground preparatory to starting a department of the associa- 
tion, and very naturally came in touch with Mr. Warner. 

Mr. Whitford found cordial approval of the project among the officers 
then at the Fort, procured permission to use a large and pleasant room in 
one of the barracks, and the effort was begun, with Mr. Warner giving 
part of his time to the work as Secretary in charge. In 1900, the work 
was formally erected into a department by the Board, with the following 
Committee of Management : Frank E. Sickels, Chairman ; Col. L. B. 
Perry, H. S. Champlin, and A. P. Holly. Mr. Holly took Mr. Warner's 
place as Secretary at this time, giving the department one-half of his time. 

The room has been redecorated and very attractively fitted up ; fur- 
nished with a desk, tables, which are kept well supplied with current 
literature, bookshelves, plenty of comfortable chairs, and a piano. The 
following jubilee year figures will be found interesting : 200 soldiers sta- 
tioned at Fort Porter ; forty-one enrolled as members of the Y. M. C. A.; 
thirty-five in the night school ; ten enrolled in bible class ; thirty average 
attendance at weekly religious service : ninety average attendance at sol- 
diers' entertainments ; 100 use the Y. M. C. A. room daily. 

BUFFALO, ROCHESTER & PITTSBURG RAILROAD 
DEPARTMENT. 

This is the youngest child of the association and an interesting one. 
In its organization, it illustrates the national growth of associations by 

102 



railroad systems, which is becoming more and more an important factor 
in this department of the work. 

In the spring of 1901, the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railway 
having determined to equip its system with association centers wherever 
needed, Mr. John F. Moore, International Railroad Secretary, and Mr. 
Whitford, made a thorough investigation of conditions at the Buffalo 
Creek terminus of the railroad and reported conclusions to the company. 
As a result, the company agreed to give $2,500 for a building and $600 
annually for current expenses, provided the men showed sufficient interest 
in contributing toward furnishing the building, and requested the Buffalo 
Association to make the enterprise a department of its work. Mr. Whit- 
ford, assisted by other secretaries, made a canvass among the employes 
and secured subscriptions from 115 men ; the Board, thereupon, accepted 
the proposition of the company. The matter of building was at once 
taken up by a committee of the Board, of which Mr. A. E. Hedstrom 
was Chairman ; the whole matter, with a check for $2,500 included, hav- 
ing been turned over to the association by the company. The building 
is situated on ground leased by the company to the association near the 
yards at Buffalo Creek. It was dedicated, with simple and informal cere- 
monies, on January 21, 1902, a special train being run out from the Ex- 
change Street station. 

Mr. Fred C. Brown, who had been Assistant Secretary at Dubois, Pa., 
was secured by the association and placed in charge shortly before the 
opening of the building. 

The department has a large reading and social room, a number of 
baths and a restaurant on the first floor, and several sleeping rooms on 
the second floor. The building and restaurant are open day and night, 
for men are coming and going in the yards at all hours. 

The department has not been in existence long enough to have statis- 
tics, but there is every promise of a limited, but very useful, work. 

President Adam has appointed the following Committee of Manage- 
ment : Arthur E. Hedstrom, Chairman ; F. W. H. Becker, Frank E. 
Sickels, F. E. Skelton, and A. H. Whitford. 

Here ends the story of the Young Men's Christian Association of Buf- 
falo, made complete in all its many parts down to the close of the Jubilee 
Year, April 30, 1902. For the sake of brief review and comment, we 
have added another chapter, which will be short, if it possess no other 
virtue. 

103 



Chapter VII. 

A WORD OF REVIEW AND ANOTHER OF PROPHECY. 

IT IS fifty years since an unselfish desire in the heart of one young 
man bore its first fruitage in the founding of the Young Men's 
Christian Association of Buffalo. We have tried to show how the 
small things of then have grown into the great things of now, and we 
believe our readers have found the record one that need make no man 
ashamed. The little band of eleven men in the choir loft of Asbury 
Church has grown into a great brotherhood of 5,041 men ; the plain room 
on South Division Street has expanded into eight complete plants, rang- 
ing in size and equipment from the comfortable room in the barracks at 
Fort Porter to the great building on Mohawk Street, and is now about to 
flower into the magnificent structure whose pictured facade forms the 
frontispiece of this little book. The few chairs and tables contained in 
the South Division Street room have been multiplied and diversified until 
to-day the association owns property valued at more than half a million 
dollars ; the modest little expense budget of 1852, amounting to $366.69, 
has swollen into a total budget of $46,000 in 1902 ; the few papers, 
magazines, and books on the tables and shelves of the South Division 
Street room have grown into a vast and wonderful combination of meth- 
ods for reaching, helping, uplifting, and saving men, such as no other 
institution in the community has developed. The occasional young man 
who entered the door of that first room has become a great body, num- 
bering each day more than a regiment which passes over the hospitable 
thresholds of the associations, making a total of 475,960 visits last year. 
Results that are spiritual cannot be measured or expressed in terms of 
arithmetic, but one cannot study the history of this association as we 
have studied it and not emerge with two strong convictions : first, that it 
has found favor in the sight of God, else it could never have prospered 
so largely ; and, second, that it has found favor in the sight of man, for 

104 



the great strength of the association for fifty years has been in the 
friends it has made — men that were, and are, strong, wise, upright ; if 
you read the names in this book, you have substantially read the roster 
of the highest and best life of the community. We do not hesitate to say 
that no other public institution in the city has so large and so fine a con- 
stituency as this. What the wisest citizens commend and God has blessed 
cannot be a thing without results. 

We read history in vain if we do not learn its lessons. To our mind, 
the chief lesson of this history is that the work of the association lies in 
the future, not in the past. The things of the past and the present, great 
as they may be, are but God's index finger pointing out the path He 
would have us follow ; are but His voice saying unto His people, " Go 
forward." 

The social and economic conditions of to-day are confronting the 
Church in our city with tremendous problems, at the heart of all of which 
stands man ; the Young Men's Christian Association of Buffalo is solving 
these problems by reaching and uplifting the man. It has won much 
success ; but it is only across the threshold, it has only made a beginning. 

In the little space remaining, let us name some of the specific things 
of the future, things which we believe the association must and will have 
— it is only a question of " when " and " who." 

Departments for general city work in the following sections : Upper 
Black Rock, Lower Black Rock, North Buffalo, Kensington, South Buf- 
falo, Stony Point. 

Departments for railroad work at the following points : West Seneca, 
for Lake Shore employes ; Sloan, for Lackawanna employes ; in vicinity 
of Buffalo Creek, for employes of three roads centering there. 

A working man's institute on the east side, for the artizan class, com- 
bining club-house features, educational classes, including instruction in 
the trades, and physical training. Associations are conducting such 
institutes in other cities with great success. 

A department near the depots with the usual association features, but 
giving the largest prominence to lodging and boarding, much after the 
plan made famous by the " Mills Hotel " in New York. This is also no 
original idea ; other associations are trying it with success. 

Departments for work among the street railroad men. The associa- 
tion has achieved wonderful success in doing a work for steam railroad 
men ; has done it cheaper and better than the companies can do it them- 
selves, and the companies have found it financially profitable to pay their 

105 



share of the expense ; why should not these things be equally true of 
street railroad men and companies ? To be sure, the conditions differ 
somewhat in detail, but so do the conditions surrounding steam railroad 
work at different points, and all are alike in essentials. The Brooklyn 
street railroad companies have already answered this query by making 
appropriations for association work among their men. 

Lastly, in this matter of expansion, there comes the founding of 
departments for work among the industrial classes of all sorts — the 
foundry men, factory men, shopmen, furnace men, but a small fraction of 
whom would, after all, be reached by any of the enterprises we have sug- 
gested. Again there come queries similar to that we have asked con- 
cerning street railroads. The railroads support the railroad departments 
as a business proposition ; why should not other industrial employers 
support departments for their men, also as a business proposition ? It is 
a tempting discussion, upon which we cannot enter ; but we believe there 
can be, and will be, but one answer. Already the movement is gathering 
headway in other cities, and a great industrial work is one of the things 
the future has in store for the Buffalo Association. 

For its best success and highest efficiency, the future should bring 
these things, also, namely : 

An additional endowment of $100,000 for the expenses of the Board 
of Directors in its work of supervision and extension. 

An endowment of $100,000 for the educational work at the Central 
Building, which is open to members of all departments. 

An endowment of at least $50,000 for the libraries of the association. 

An endowment of $25,000 for special religious work at the Central 
Department. 

The sum of $20,000 to pay off the mortgage indebtedness of the Ger- 
man Department. 

How quickly the future will bring these things to the association 
depends on the energy and consecrated ambition of the active workers 
and the conscience and generosity of the people of our city. 

Buffalo is destined to be a very great city ; its growing greatness adds 
year by year to the greatness of the Christian problem. What shall be 
the future of this city ? Shall it be swayed by the forces that make for 
righteousness ? Shall it be kept for the Master ? There can be but one 

106 



answer, and upon every man rests the burden of bringing it to pass. In 
this campaign the Church of Christ has no weapon whose temper and 
efficiency have been more thoroughly proven at the fighting line than the 
Young Men's Christian Association. If it remains true to its ideal, if it 
never forgets to fight in the name of Him whose name it bears, there 
lies before it a career of achievement, in winning and uplifting men, 
finer, grander, more divine, than many of its friends have ever dreamed of. 



107 



APPENDIX 



Jubilee Service 

COMMEMORATING THE 

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY 

OF THE 

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION 
of the City of Buffalo 

AT THE 

TECK THEATRE, 
Sunday Afternoon, April 27, 1902, 3.00 P. M. 

PROGRAM. 

Robert B. Adam, Presiding. 

Voluntary, Association Orchestra. 

Hymn — " Come, Thou Almighty King." 

Scripture Reading, . . . Rev. Isaac W. Tryon, First President, 1852. 

Prayer, Rev. Edward Bristol, President, 1862. 

Selection, Knickerbocker Quartet.. 

Historical Sketch, Frank E. Sickels, Vice-President. 

Address — " History and Growth of Association Work," 

Richard C. Morse, General Secretary International Committee. 
Address — "The Association as an Investment," 

Joseph T. Ailing, Rochester, N. Y. 

Selection, Knickerbocker Quartet. 

Address — " The Community's Appreciation," 

Rev. O. P. Gilford, D. D., Pastor Delaware Avenue Baptist Church. 

Remarks, Robert B. Adam, President. 

Hymn — "Onward, Christian Soldiers." 

Benediction, Rev. R. V. Hunter, D. D. 



The following cablegram from Sir George Williams of London, Eng- 
land, founder of the first Young Men's Christian Association, was read at 
the Jubilee Service : "Accept heartfelt thanks upon Jubilee of Buffalo 
Association. I greatly rejoice with you all. God abundantly bless and 
prosper you and your work." 

Ill 



The Buffalo Young Mens Christian Association. 



DEPARTMENT AND MEMBERSHIP STATEMENT. 



METROPOLITAN PLAN OF ORGANIZATION, EFFECTED JUNE 3, 1890. 

Paid 

Membership, 
Department. Organized. May 1, 1902. 

Central, April 26, 1852, 2,422 

Union Terminal Railroad, February, 1880, 403 

East Buffalo Railroad, ......... March 8, 1888, 1,166 

German, June 5, 1888, 714 

Depew Railroad, October 22, 1894, 238 

Army, July? 1900, 41 

Student, October 18, 1900, 35 

B., R. & P. Railroad, January 1, 1902, 22 



Total Paid Membership, May 1, 1902, 5,041 



FIFTH LARGEST ASSOCIATION IN THE WORLD. 



1852-1853 

1853-1855 
1855-1859, 
1859- 1865 
1865-1869 
1869-1871 
1871-1875 
1875-1878, 
1878-1883, 
1883-I902 



LOCATION OF THE ASSOCIATION DURING 
FIFTY YEARS. 

— South Division, Eilicott Square Building site. 

— Odeon Hall, northwest corner Main and Mohawk streets. 

— Kremlin Hall, southeast corner Eagle and Pearl streets. 

— Arcade Building, southeast corner Main and Clinton streets. 

— Southeast corner Main and Eagle streets, Iroquois Hotel site. 

— Over 302 Main Street. 

— Phelps' Block, 319 Main Street, over Riegel's Clothing Store. 

— Over 345 Main Street, northeast corner Main and North Division streets. 

— Old Court House, 50 Clinton Street. (Central Department.) 

— Association Building, 19 West Mohawk Street. (Central Department.) 

112 



BEQUESTS TO THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION 

OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO. 

1878 — Jerome Pierce, $ 2,500.00 

1888 — Caroline C. Fillmore, 1,680.00 

1888 — George Howard, 10,000.00 

1888 — Merwin S. Hawley, 2,000.00 

1889 — Lavinia Austin, 5,000.00 

1890 — Mary P. Burt, 573-°° 

1895 — Eric L. Hedstrom, 3,000.00 

1895— David S. Ingalls, 65,693.81 

1898 — William R.. Taylor, 7,931.95 

1899 — Clementine L. Forbes, 500.00 

1901 — Theodore D. Barnum, 200.00 

All bequests are invested in the permanent fund. 

FORM OF BEQUEST. 

I give and bequeath to the Young Men's Christian Association of Buffalo, N. Y. , the 
sum of dollars, and the receipt of the Treasurer of the Board of Trus- 
tees thereof shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors for the same. 

The Board of Directors and Board of Trustees of the Buffalo Young Men's Christian 
Association would respectfully direct the attention of Buffalo's public-spirited citizens to 
the greatly needed additional endowment, by bequest or subscription, to the permanent 
fund of the institution, which they have been providentially called upon to manage. 

PROPERTY AND ENDOWMENT STATEMENT. 

Property : 

Central Department Building, value, $150,000 

German Department Building, " 50,000 

East Buffalo Department Building, " 15,000 

B., R. & P. Department Building, " 3,000 

$218,000 
Indebtedness on German Department Building, . . . 24,500 

Net value of buildings, $193,500 

Endowment : 

Equity in building, 446 Main Street, $70,000 

First mortgages, 14,800 

Bonds, 5,000 

Investment, 403 Monroe Street, 1,025 

Cash on hand, 8,754 



99,579 
Subscriptions available for new building, 225,000 

Total assets, $518,079 

113 



THE ORGANIZATION 

OF THE 

Buffalo Young Men's Christian Association. 

the jubilee year. 1902. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 

R. B. Adam. President ; F. E. Sickels. Vice President ; 

T. T. McWilliams, Treasurer ; F. W. H. Becker. Recording Secretary ; 

J. I. Prentiss, W. A. Ioyce. S. S. Kingsley. f. W. Robinson. 

A. E. Hedstrom, T. Speyser. G. R. Howard. "J. H. Daniels. M.D. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 

P. P. Pratt. President: 

I. T. McWilliams. Treas.. S. M. Clement. \\ . H. Walker. W. A. Rogers. 

J. W. Robinson. R. B. Adam. R. R. Hefford. 

General Secretary. A. H. Whitford. 

COMMITTEES OF MANAGEMENT. 

Central Department. 

F. M. Hayes. M. D.. Chairman ; S. X. McWilliams. Treasurer: 

Horace Reed. S. S. Kingsley. T. C. Frenyear. E. M. McBrier. 

W. H. Collins. 1. C. Bowen. R. B. Adam. Jr.. F. S. Fosdick. 

W. A. Joyce, E. C. Xeal. 

German Department. 

T. Speyser. Chairman: C. P. Henn. Treasurer: 

D. B. Stumpf. M. D.. C. Werner. C. J. Meyer. J. Jung, 

E. O. Fischer. W. Kipphut. I. Keppel. W. Gisel. 
L. Kempf. P. H. Schabacker. N. W. Bodenbender. M. D.. A. Becker. 
M. J. Chemnitz. F. C. Gram. M. D.. H. Steck. I. McKay. 

Otto Retter, Secretary. 

Student Department. 

M. D. Mann. M. D.. Chairman : W. G. Gregory. M. D.. Treasurer: 

E. H. Long. M. D.. W. C. Jacobs. D. D. S.. A. H. Whitford. 

A nm • Department. 

F. E. Sickels. Chairman ; H. C. Champlin. Treasurer ; T. B. Perry. 

Union Terminal Railroad Department. 

C. H. Seymour. Chairman: Geo. Huntingdon. Treasurer: 

D. L. Tuttle. T. W. Xiles. A. E. Robbins. G. A. Presto,. 
J. C. Pollock. I. P. Bradfield. L. H. Van Allen. T. K. Bennett. 
J. B. McCall. W. W. Frye. G. R. Layher. A. B. Xeill. 

E. X. Blood. J. R. Petrie. G. W. Creighton : H. M. Brown. 

F. H. Thatcher. Secretary. 

East Buffalo Railroad Department. 

E. A. Benson. Chairman: F. E. Dance. Treasurer: 

H. H. Perkins. Amos Gould. J. P. Bradfield. J. G. Townsend. 

1. D. Bogardus. H. F. Shattuck, F. W. Everett. Wm. Fletcher. 

"I. Macbeth, T. M. Parmatier. H. E. Benson. |ohn Budge. 

Iohn True, C. W. Fisher. C. L. Carnegie. H. M. Eyes. 

Edwin Kettle. Secretary. 

Depew Railroad Department. 

Iohn Howard. Chairman: J. 0. Gould. Treasurer: 

E. M. Hedley. D. R. Stratton. M. D.. P. H. Ryan. E. I. Hennessey. 

W. F. Inskip. Secretarv. 



B. , R. cH P. Railroad Department. 



A. E. Hedstrom. Chairman : F. W. H. Becker. Treasurer : 

F. E. Sickels. T. E. Skelton. A. H. Whitford. 

F. C. Brown. Secretary. 

114 



OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR FIFTY YEARS. 

(P.) President. (V. P.) Vice President. (R. S.) Recording Secretary. (T.) Treasurer. 

1852. I. C. Tryon, P. ; N. A. Halbert, P. ; E. A. Swan, V. P. ; G. W. Perkins, R. S. ; 

C. K. Remington, T. 

1853. N. A. Halbert, P. ; E. A. Swan, V. P. ; A. R. Wright, R. S. ; Jesse Clement, T. 

1854. N. A. Halbert, P.; Dr. Sandford Eastman, V. P.; Wm. Hersee, R. S. ; G. W. 

Perkins, T. 

1855. Jesse Clement, P.; S. S. Guthrie, V. P.; Wm. Hersee, R. S. ; Fred'k Gridley, T. 

1856. S. S. Guthrie, P. ; W. M. Gray, V. P. ; Morse Burtis, R. S. ; Fred'k Gridley, T. 

1857. P. P. Pratt, P. ; Oscar Cobb, V. P. ; John F. Chard, R. S. ; Fred'k Gridley, T. 
.1858. E. A. Swan, P. ; Wm. M. Gray, V. P. ; E. Chas. Parker, R. S. ; Thos. G. Parsons, T. 

1859. John D. Hill, P.; Edward D. Bristol, V. P.; Myron H. Clark, R. S. ; Thos. G. 

Parsons, T. 

1860. John D. Hill, P. ; Abner H. Bryant, V. P. ; C. B. Armstrong, R. S. ; Thos. G. 

Parsons, T. 

1861. John D. Hill,R; Wm. C. Bryant, V. P.; Lyman R.Casey, R.S. ; Thos. G. Parsons, T. 

1862. Edward Bristol, P.; F. P. Wood, V. P.; J. E. Gilbert, R. S. ; L. R. Casey, T. 

1863. Fred'k Gridley, P. ; A. R. Wright, V. P. ; A. L. Lothridge, R. S. ; L. R. Casey, T. 

1864. Seth Clark, P.; Rev. F. J. Ernst, V. P.; E. W. Eames, R. S. ; A. L. Lothridge, T. 

1865. Seth Clark, P.; F. W. Breed, V. P.; F. W. Taylor, R. S.; A. L. Lothridge, T. 

1866. Seth Clark, P. ; F. W. Breed, V. P. ; Morse Burtis, R. S. ; Julius Walker, T. 

1867. Seth Clark, P. ; Joseph Guild, V. P. ; W. H. Beach, R. S. ; Julius Walker, T. 

1868. P. J. Ferris, P.; Ray T. Spencer, V. P.; E. C. Pattison, R. S. ; Julius Walker, T. 

1869. R. K. Noye, P.; M. E. E. Hazard, V. P.; F. D. Locke, R. S. ; Wm. Woltge, T. 

1870. R. K. Noye, P.; F. L. Danforth, V. P.; E. L. Hawley, R. S. ; T. D. Barnum, T. 

1871. E. L. Hedstrom, P. ; John H. Brown, V. P. ; A. B. Neil], R. S. ; Alfred Haines, T. 

1872. E. L. Hedstrom, P. ; J. L. Alberger, V. P. ; A. B. Neil], R. S. ; S. W. Warren, T. 

1873. E. L. Hedstrom, P.; J. L. Alberger, V. P.; W. C. Cornwell, R. S.; S.W. Warren, T. 

1874. E. L. Hedstrom, P. ; J. L. Alberger, V. P. ; I. G. Jenkins, R. S. ; S. W. Warren, T. 

1875. E. L. Hedstrom, P. ; H. H. Otis, V. P. ; J. H. Prescott, R. S. ; H. E. Perrine, T. 

1876. Emmor Haines, P. ; H. H. Otis, V. P. ; J. H. Prescott, R. S. ; H. E. Perrine, T. 

115 



1877. W. W. Brown, P.; Rev. L. Van Bokelen, V. P.; Geo. C. Sweet, R. S. ; Wm. 

Woltge, T. 

1878. Geo. N. Pierce, P.; Rev. L. Van Bokelen, V. P.; Geo. C. Sweet, R. S. ; Wm. 

Woltge, T. 

1879. C. B. Armstrong, P.; Rev. W= M. Hughes, V. P.; R. K. Strickland, R. S. ; R. 

Porter Lee, T. 

1880.^ N, G. Benedict, P.; Rev. W. M. Hughes, V. P.; R. K. Strickland, R. S. ; R. 

1881. ) Porter Lee, T. 

1882. N. G. Benedict, P. ; Rev. W. M. Hughes, V. P. ; R. K. Strickland, R. S. ; F. 

A. Board, T. 

1883. N. G. Benedict, P. ; R. B. Adam, V. P. ; R. K. Strickland, R. S. ; Chas. N. Arm- 

strong, T. 

1884. N. G. Benedict, P.; S. E. Adams, V. P.; R. K. Strickland, R. S. ; Chas. N. Arm- 

strong, T. 

1885. ) S. E. Adams, P.; H. D. Blakeslee, A'. P.; R. K. Strickland, R. S. ; W. H. D. 

1886. ) Barr, T. 

1887. ) W. H. Gratwick, P. ; J. J. McWilliams, V. P. ; J. L. Slater, R. S. ; W. H. I). 

1888. \ Barr, T. 

1889. J. J. McWilliams, P.; S. S. Kingsley, V. P.; S. L. Graves, R. S. ; H. J. Wilkes, T 

1890. I J. J. McWilliams, P. ; H. D. Blakeslee, V. P. ; S. L. Graves, R. S. ; W. H. John- 

1891. ) son, T. 

1892. W. H. Johnson, P. ; C. M. Underhiil, V. P. ; S. L. Graves, R. S. ; J. J. Albright, T. 

1893. W. H. Johnson, P. ; C. M. Underhiil, V. P. ; S. L.Graves, R. S. ; Spencer Kellogg, T. 

1894. -| 

1895. I- H. D. Blakeslee, P.; F. E. Sickels, V. P.; S. L. Graves, R. S. ; W. H. Johnson, T. 
1896.J 

1897.1 

i onn ^ R - K Adam ' R 5 F> E - Sickels ' V - P - 5 S. L. Graves, R. S. ; J. J. McWilliams, T. 

1899. j 

1900. J 

190L I R. B. Adam, P. ; F. E. Sickels, V. P. ; F. W. H. Becker, R. S. ; J. J. McWilliams, T. 

±aOA. 



116 



LIST OF MEN WHO HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AS 



EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION, 

1852-1902. 

[List includes men who served at least a year, also present officers employed within the last year.] 

Department abbreviations: (U. T.) Union Terminal. (E. B.) East Buffalo. (D) Depew. 
(B., R. & P.) Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg. All without abbreviations employed by the 
Central Department. 

Allard, Jas. E., Assistant Secretary 

Adair, W. W., Assistant Secretary, E. B., 

Adams, W. H., Assistant Secretary, E. B., , 

Allingham, David, Assistant Secretary, E. B., 

Allingham, Robert, . . * Assistant Secretary, E. B 

Anderson, Fred. N., Assistant Physical Director, 

Brown, Ellen, Miss, Boys' Secretary 

Barrett, George W., Assistant Physical Director, 

Burkhardt, F. W Physical Director, G., 

Boll, W. C, Assistant Secretary, G., 

Brown, H. B., Librarian, 

Bennett, E. A., Assistant Secretary, U. T . . 

Brown, Fred. C, Secretary, B., R. & P., 



Cook, Rev. P. J., City Missionary, . . . 

Carruthers. George Librarian, 

Cameron, J. Y., Physical Director, . . . 

Dickson, H. D., Assistant Secretary, . . 

Donnigan, Ed., Assistant Secretary, U. T. 

Dickson, H. D., Secretary, 

Durand, W. B., Physical Director. . . . 

Dickson, A. B., Assistant Secretarv, . . 



Eaves, Charles Assistant Secretary, U. 

Erlenbach, F. M., Assistant Secretary, . 

Frank, Leslie F., Assistant Secretary, . 



Gray, David, Librarian, 

Gordon, David A., Assistant Secretary, . . . 

Godtfring, F. W., Financial Secretary, G., 

Godbold, W. H., Assistant Physical Director, 

Garry, S. H., Assistant Secretary, . . . 

Huie, H. E., Assistant Secretary, E. B., 

Hess, Geo. W., Physical Director, .... 

Hirsch, W. F., Associate Secretary, . . . 

Haag, John A., Assistant Secretary, E. B., 

Harris, Edwin A., Assistant Secretary, E. B., 

Howe, Lee A., Assistant Secretary, U. T., 

House, C. A Assistant Secretary, U. T., 

Harter, H. C, Business Secretary, . . . 

Holly, A. P., Assistant Secretary, . . . 

Howe, Leroy A., Assistant Secretary, U. T., 

Inskip, Walter F., ...... . Secretary, Depew, .... 

Inman, R. I., Assistant Secretary, U. T., 

117 



891-1893 
892-1894 
893-1895 
898-1890 

899 

899-1900 

886 

894-1895 

895 

897-1899 
897-1900 

901 

902 

865-1870 
895-189? 
899 

887-1888 
887-1893 
891-1898 
895-1899 
897-1898 

885-1887 
888-1893 

893-1895 

855-1859 
880-1885 
894-1897 
898-1899 
901 

888-1890 
891-1895 

892 

894-1896 
895-1896 
895-1897 
897-1898 

898 

899-1902 
899 

894 

895-1896 



Jenkins, Isaac G., General Secretary, 1870-1877 

Kettle, Edwin, Secretary, E. B 1889 

Klughery, W. L Assistant Secretary, E. B 1898-1900 

Luce, George W Secretary, U. T , 1880-1884 

Lohans, H. H., Assistant Secretary. G 1893-1895 

Lohans. H. H., Secretary. G 1899-1902 

Lawrence. E. Henry. Assistant Secretary 1895-1897 

Lysette. P. Albert Assistant Secretary. U. T 1896-1898 

Lohans, H. H., Secretary, G., 1899-1902 

Leighbody, Glenn W., Librarian 1900-1901 

Lewis, W. E Assistant Physical Director 1900 

Minor. D. E., Assistant Secretary. U. T., 1881-1882 

Mier, Adolph, Physical Director, 1886-1889 

Muntzjohn Assistant Secretary. U. T 1888-1889 

Muntz. Emanuel, Physical Director 1889-1891 

Merritt, Allen E., Assistant Secretary, E. B 1890-1892 

Mogge, E. L Assistant Secretary, U. T., 1892-1893 

Murphy, H. J Assistant Secretary. E. B., 1901-1902 

Myers, Royal Assistant Secretary. B., R. & P 1902 

Nichols, W. C Assistant Secretary 1885-1889 



Pfeiffer, Aug., Assistant Secretary, U. T., 1884-1885 

Peugeot, E. P., Assistant Secretary. U. T., 1882-1884 

Putnam, E. A., Membership Secretary 1891 

Quick, Roy Assistant Secretary 1895-1896 

Rhodes, H. E Secretary. E. B 1888-1889 

Richardson. W. H Assistant Physical Director 1896-1898 

Reily, C. J., Assistant Secretary. E. B., 1899-1901 

Retter. Otto Assistant Secretary. G 1899-1902 

Retter, Otto Secretary, G., 1902 

Rouse. Elmer Assistant Secretary, U. T., 1893-1895 

Steinaker, John, General Secretary 1877-1879 

Squire, John B General Secretary 1880-1891 

Smith, Edwin K Assistant Secretary, U. T., 1893-1894 

Shepard, Will C Assistant Secretary. U. T 1892-1893 

Spiller. C. H Assistant Secretary. U. T 1892-1894 

Starkey, Fred. R., Assistant Secretary 1900 

Simon, H. E. W Assistant Secretary, G 1902 

Thatcher. F. H Secretary, U. T 1884 

Townsend, Henry A Assistant Secretary 1885-1886 

Truesdell, A. L Assistant Secretary 1895-1897 

Van Scoter. W, B Librarian 1901 

Wittwer, Carl E Secretary. G., 1888-1893 

Wittwer, Carl E., Assistant Secretary. G 1896-1897 

Wardell. H. C Assistant Secretary. E. B 1896-1897 

Wittwer. Carl E Secretary, G 1897-1899 

Walker, H. E Assistant Secretary, U. T 1898-1899 

Webb. Roland Assistant Secretary, U. T 1898-1900 

Wilkie, W. J., Membership Secretary. E. B 1898-1901 

Whitford. A. H., General Secretary 1898 

Westfall, Fred Assistant Secretary, U. T 1899 

Whitney. Guy B Membership Secretary, E. B.. 1902 

118 



MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 
FIFTY YEARS. 

1852— 1902. 



Atkins, M. R ; 54-55 

Armstrong, C. B. ..'59-60, 61, 
63, 69-70, 78-82 

Alberger, S. L '72-74 

Adam, R. B '79-85, 91-02 

Adams, S. E '80-92 

Armstrong, Chas. N '83-86 

Albright, J. J '92-93 

Bull,D. B "52 

Baldwin, E. J '53 

Brayman, J. O '53-54 

Bryant, I. F '54 

Beals, E. P '55, 58 

Bryant. Abner H '55-57, 60 

Blanchard, Amos '56-57 

Bowen, Dennis '56-57 

Bristol, Edward.. .'59-60, 62, 
67, 69 

Benson, D. D '59 

Bryant, W. C '60-63 

Bradford, W. R '61, 66 

Bixby, J. W '62-63 

Box, H. W '64-65 

Breed, F. W '64-68 

Burtis. Morse '66 

Borman, Thos '66 

Benson, John '66 

Breed, W. H '67 

Brown, David E '68, 71 

Barnum, T. D '69-70 

Brown, J. H '71, 73-74 

Beals, E.P '73 

Burdict, O. C '75 

Brown, W. W '77 

Benedict, N. G '79-92 

Brooks, M '79 

Brundage, C. G '80 

Bowen, W. H. H '80 

Board, F. A '82-83, 96-00 

Blakeslee, H. D '82-97 

Barr, W. H. D '84-88 

Bissell, T. A '90-95 

Bond. Henry '97-00 

Benson, E. A '95 — 

Becker, F. W. H '00 — 



Champlin,0. H. P. . '52-54, 58, 60 

Clark, Seth '52, 64-68 

Clement, Jesse '53-57 

Cobb, Oscar '54-57 

Cowing, E. H '55 

Chard, Jas. F '56-57 

Clark, Myron H '58-59 

Casey, Lyman R '61-63 

Comstock, M. L '61, 73-74 

Cook, P. G '68-69 

Cornwell, W. C '73 

Chester, Thos '75-77 

Cooke, C. A ^7 

Coppins, F. T '82-86 

Clement, S. M., Jr '87-88 

Campbell, Jos '93~95 

Dudley, Edmund '59 

Dudley. Fred '62 

Dennis, J. N '64 

Dorris, J. A '65-66 

Dyer, H. F '65 

Draper, O. H '66 

Davis, H.J '67 

Davis, A. J '68 

Danf orth. F. L '69-71. 73 

Duncan, John '^ 

Darrow, H. G '79-80 

Danforth, J. W '79 

De Groat. H. C '85-86 

Dabney, C. T '95 

Daniels, Dr. J. H '99 — 

Eastman, Dr. Sanford, '54-55, 58 

Ernst, Rev. J. F '63-64 

Eames, E. W '64 

Eddy, J. F '69 

Enos, G. T '75-76 

Emerson, H. P '89-90 

Fobes, W.D '53 

Fisher, Wm. P '58-59 

Fosdick, J. S '62-63 

French, W. L '62 

Ferris. P. J '66-68, 72 

Fayfield, Geo. L '79-80 

119 



Francis, Wm. C '82 

Fralick, F. G '84 

Guthrie, S. S "55-65 

Gridley, Fred'k '55, 63, 67 

Gray, Wm. M '58 

Gray, David '59-60 

Guild, J '67 

Gardner, Wm. H '68, 73-74 

Gates, L. S '74-77 

Gratwick, W. H '82-98 

Graves, G. S '89-90 

Graves, S. L '89-91 

Gram, Dr. F. C '96-97 

Halbert, N. A '52-54 

Huntley, W. D '52 

Hawley, J. S '53 

Hersee, Wm '54-55 

Hill, John D '56-61 

Hale, Henry H '59-60 

Hopkins, Nelson '63 

Horton, CM '64-68 

Hazard, M. E. E '69 

Hubbell, Lyman '69-72 

Hedstrom, E. L '70-77 

Hawley, E. S '70 

Haines, A '71 

Humason, Geo '71 

Hoole, A. J '72-74 

Holt, O. H '73-76 

Holland, Nelson '77 

Hughes, Rev. W. X' '79-80 

Hodge, F. A '79-80 

Humble, John '82-83 

Hayes, Edmund '84-85, 91 

Hamlin, C. W '89-90 

Howland, Henry R '91 

Howard, Geo. R '95 — 

Haselton, G. H '98-00 

Hedstrom, A. E '99 — 

Hayes, Dr. F. M '01 — 

Howard, John '02 — 

Johnson, Jas. M '58-59 

Johnson, Robert '62 



Jenkins, I. G '7C-75 

Johnson, W. H '71 

Johnson, Fred'k '83-84 

Jones, John A '83-86, 89-90 

Johnson, Wm. H '87-96 

Joyce, Wm. A '00 — 

Kellogg, W. P '60 

Keating. R '61, 69 

Ketchum, G. B '64 

Kellogg, W. '65 

Ketchum, E. W '69-70 

Kingsley. S. S '73, 79- 85-- 

Kendall. A. A '82-83 

Kellogg. Spencer '92-94 

Kempf, Louis '92-93 

Lockwood, Stephen '54-55 

Lyman, N. R '55-56 

Lytle. J. S '55-56 

Lyon, J. S '62-63 

Lothridge, A. L '62-67 

Le Boutillier T '64 

Locke, F. D '69-70 

Lapey. John '71 

Lovejoy, Geo. L '72 

Loton, Jabez '52-53. 75-77 

Lee. R. Porter '79-80 

Lewis, F. Park .'82-86 

Letchworth, O. P '82-83 

Long. Eli H '85-86 

Martin, H. H '52, 55 

Morgan, Thos '52 

Mathews. A. 1 '55 

Miller, W. T '61 

Morgan. L. S '69-70 

Moody. L. W '72,74 

Morgan, W. J '74-75 

Meads, M. A. G '82-83 

McWilliams. J. J '84 — 

Maltby, Geo. W "94-96 

Noye, R. K '60-70, 77 

Neill, A. B '70-72 

Newell, E '80 



Otis, Henry H.. ..'58-60. 63, 75 



Presbry. O. F '52 

Perkins, G. W '52-54 

Pratt, P. P '56-57 

Parsons, Thos. G '56-61, 67 

Parker, E. Chas '58 

Peterson. P. B '60-61 

Parke,J. B '61-62 

Perrine. H. E '64, 75 

Parsons, W. W '64-65 

Pattison, E. C '67-68 

Pierce, Geo. N '72-75 

Palen, Robert '73~74 

Prescott, J. H '74-75 

Pollock. Jas. C. . '87-88, 92-93, 96 
Prentiss, J.I '97 — 



Remington, C. K. '52-53. '64-65 

Root. John '53-54 

Rogers, P. P '55-56 

Rogers. S. S '55~57 

Rossee], Chas '59~6o 

Rynock. Wm '59-60 

Rich. G. B '70-71 

Rossiter, C. L '93~94 

Robinson. John W '99 — 

Swan. E. A.... '52-58 

Sweet, Silas '52-53 

Sweet. Lorenzo '52-53 

Sexton. Jason '56-57 

Selkirk. Geo. H '56-58 

Sprague, Jesse J '58 

Sikes, S. D '58, 60-61, 65-68 

Storrs. L. C '59-60 

Slade, W. H '60 

Sweet, J. B '61. 63, 67 

Shuttleworth, H. F '63 

Sherman, R. J '62-63 

Sawyer, J . D '65 

Scatchard. J. N '66-68. 72 



Selkirk. C. E '66 

Spencer, R. T '67-69 

Sweeney, J '68 

Strobridge. Rev. Geo. E '75 

Sweet, Geo. C '77 

Strickland. R. K '79-86 

Steinaker. J '79-80 

Seymour, S. L '79 

Stearns, Geo. R '82-83 

Seabert. F. A '84-94 

Sickels, F. E '86 — 

Slater, J. L '87-88 

Spencer, Ray T '87-88 

Speyser. Theo '90 — 

Seeger. John G '87-90 

Stumpf. Dr. D. B '94-95 

Smith. Philips '96-98 

Seymour. C. H '97 — 

Underhill,C. M . .'77, 91-94, 97-98 

Van Bokelen, Rev. L '77 

Wright. A. R '52-53. 61, 63 

Williams. Amos '54-55 

Wood, F. P '55-57, 62 

Weston, T. A '55 

Walker. Julius '64-68. 72 

Williams, A. E '65 

Webster, Hugh '66-67 

Walbridge, Chas. E '68-69 

Woltge, Wm '69-72. 77 

Wilson, W. T '70, 72 

Wilkes. A. B '71-72 

Willyoung, John '71-72 

Warren, S. W '72-74, 77 

Warren. H. D '78 

Whiting. S. E '79-80 

Wheeler. C. B '80 

Woodworth. C. H '86-88 

Wilkes, H.J '89-90 



Young, C. E.... 
Young. Wm. M 



'52-53 
■ •-'54 



120 



MATTHEWS-NORTHRUP 
WORKS 

B U FFALQAND N EW YORK 




